The Bet
by rubberglue
Summary: When a relationship starts on a lie, can it survive?
1. Prologue

AN: Modern AU! Which I feel like I've not written for a while. I hope you enjoy it and thank you in advance for any comments! :D

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**Prologue**

Had anyone told him that he would be happy living in a tiny one room apartment and driving a wreck of a car three months ago, he would have scoffed at them. He had grown up in the lap of luxury, silver spoon in the mouth and just three months ago, he was living in an exclusive apartment, waited on hand and foot by his housemaid and dining in the best restaurants. Now, he was dialing for Chinese food.

"Don't forget the sweet and sour pork! You forgot last week."

And that person, wrapped up in blankets on his battered sofa in the room next door, was the reason why.

"I won't! I still remember how you sulked that whole night because - oof!" Guinevere, still clutching the blankets around her shoulder, popped into the kitchen and smacked him. In response, he leaned over and kissed her, smiling when she snuggled into his chest.

"Yeah, that's right. Thank you." He hung up the phone, picked his girlfriend up and tossed her gently back onto the sofa. "You're supposed to be sick."

"I feel much better already. I would feel even better if you massage my feet," Gwen fluttered her eyelashes at him and wriggled her toes.

Unable to deny her anything, he flopped down on the sofa next to her and dragged her feet to his lap. "I only do this because I love you."

"I know," she grinned. "If it helps, I love you too."

* * *

_Three months ago_

"The only reason all these girls swarm to you is because you're rich and only going to get richer. Plus who doesn't want to be part of the Pendragon empire? I sure do, which is why I'm your friend." Gwaine was halfway drunk already and for some reason, Arthur's love life was the topic of conversation no matter how much he tried to change it.

"He had a point. This is why all your relationships are so short lived. They don't really like you - they like who you are. Except for Elena but that was never going to work out anyway."

"No. Not when she really loved someone else instead. Why are we dissecting my love life again?" Arthur took a gulp of the cool beer in front of him and frowned at his friends.

"Because the reason we are here tonight is that you called it quits with your latest squeeze. You go through girlfriends as quickly as I go through boxers." Percy pointed out. "And it's always the same. You always say that they are more interested in your money and connections than you. Maybe you need to change how you find dates."

Leon put his mug down and shook his head. "You are one to talk. What happened to your last boyfriend?"

"Leon, you haven't even had a date in years," laughed Gwaine. "Where's Merlin anyway?"

"Out with my sister again." Arthur couldn't believe that Morgana, the socialite who hung off various millionaires' arms, somehow ended up in a long term and apparently stable relationship with his assistant, the man who couldn't tell the difference between a Ferrari and a Honda.

"Ah he's a lucky one. See, she clearly loves him and not his money -"

"- because he hasn't any!"

"You need to attract people with your personality," Percy said quite seriously.

Gwaine roared with laughter and Arthur surreptitiously removed the beer from him and dumped it with a passing waiter. "If it were left to his personality, Arthur wouldn't be able to attract anybody."

"Shut up Gwaine. And I don't need my money or connections to attract a girl. And can we talk about something else? Maybe the football -"

"You know what?" Gwaine slurred. "How about this? You get a girlfriend without using your money or your name and I'll give you that painting you've been trying to buy off me."

"Are you serious?" Arthur perked up. "The painting that rightfully belongs to my mother. The one your father fleeced off her."

The lively chatter around them faded, attention on both Arthur and Gwaine. That painting had been a bone of contention between the two men for years. Any mention of it was usually accompanied by a huge argument.

Gwaine tsked. "Your mother lost it fair and square. But yes, that painting."

"And you'll give it up if I get a girlfriend without being me." Ideas started to form in Arthur's head as he contemplated Percy's words. He was getting tired of all the dates his father foisted on him and invariably when women approached him, it was because they already knew who he was. And if this resulted in him getting his mother's painting back, all the better.

"It's a deal."


	2. Chance Meetings

AN: Thanks for the comments! :)

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The familiar sounds and smells of the café buffeted her as she pushed the doors open. Gwen eyed the already long queue with annoyance. If she stood in line for her usual mangosteen tea, she would be late for work. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. Leland Accounting was flexible with when she came in for work, but this morning, there was an important meeting. As the personal assistant of Annis Leland, Gwen could not afford to be late, not when her meager paycheck depended on keeping Annis happy. With a sigh, she turned back to the doors, only to slam right into someone. Warm hands grabbed her shoulders.

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

Already miffed by the fact that she would be going without her tea that morning, Gwen snapped at the hard chest in front of her. "You're the one who should be watching where you're going!"

The hands left her shoulders, lifting in surrender. "You shouldn't just turn so suddenly! What if I had been carrying coffee?"

This time, Gwen finally looked up at the man who had walked into her. Blonde hair, blue eyes, conventionally handsome. Like so many of the young men who thronged the café, he probably worked at one of the many banks around the area. Clearly, like many of the young men she'd encountered, he lacked any sort of manners.

"Be more careful next time," she huffed as she pushed past him. The last thing she wanted was to have sacrificed her tea and still be late for the meeting.

"Gwen. Just in time." Annis barely spared her a glance before she went back to squinting at her monitor. "It's a good thing Cenred will be slightly late. Wouldn't do you good to come in later than our client."

"Sorry." As they waited for Cenred to appear, Gwen pulled out her notebook. A quick check of her emails told her that she had a long day ahead – appointments to shift around, arrangements for a small party to make, research to do. It was good thing she enjoyed what she did.

A slight commotion made her raise her head. Cenred was here. Gwen watched with concealed amusement as Annis's usually dour face broke into a wide grin. The more Annis smiled at someone, the more important they were.

"Mr Cenred," Gwen rose from her seat. "Good to see you again. You're looking well."

"Ah Guinevere. Still beautiful."

Her smile was tight. "Still competent."

"That too. Come. Shall we start?"

There wasn't really anything new said during the meeting but Cenred was their biggest client and he loved meetings. And as Annis reminded her regularly, whatever Cenred wanted, Cenred got. Dutifully, Gwen noted down all the minor changes Cenred demanded as the meeting progressed. When he finally left, she shared a wry smile with Annis as they made their way back to Annis's office.

"You look tired," said Annis at the door of her office. "Bad weekend?"

"Sort of." Gwen sighed. "The bathroom is leaking."

Annis raised a hand. "Don't tell me. Your _wonderful_ landlord is dragging his feet."

"What's new?"

"You need a new place," said Annis as she walked into her office, then shut the door.

"Find a new place," she muttered to herself as she sorted out the mail on her table. "Like affordable apartments with nice landlords are so easy to find." With a shrug, Gwen plopped herself down on her chair and leaned back as far as the chair would allow. She remembered Vivian telling her about her new fancy ergonomic chair at her office. Gwen didn't think her chair was ergonomic at all. Neither was the company-issued notebook state of the art.

A loud buzz disrupted her thoughts.

"I want the numbers on the Lee contract verified as soon as possible. Also, see if Lucille is ready to discuss her proposal. Don't forget to get an appointment with that software vendor as well, you know the one."

"Yes, Annis." But Annis had hung up even before Gwen finished. Flexing her arms, Gwen sat up straight. Time to start work.

Time passed quickly when Gwen was engrossed in work so when she finally hung up the phone after a firm but fruitful chat with the software vendor, it was already lunch time. Like she did every day, Gwen popped her head into Annis's office.

"Lunch?"

"No thanks." Annis barely even looked up from whatever she was reading.

"You know, you're going to get a bad stomach skipping lunch all the time," chided Gwen with a shake of her head. "I'll buy you a sandwich."

"None of that avocado stuff you like so much!" Annis yelled as Gwen walked away. "Or alfalfa."

Even from across the road, Gwen could see that the café was crowded. Not that it was surprising. It served decent food at pretty good prices. As she approached, her heart gave a little jump when she saw that the owner of the café was doing service at the counter. Stepping in, she saw that Vivian was already at their usual seat.

"Hey!" Draping her coat over the back of the seat, Gwen sat down.

Vivian grinned suggestively at her. "Lance is serving."

Even as she felt her cheeks heat up, Gwen tried to maintain an expressionless face. "So?"

"So, when you go place our orders, you should say something. Ask him to hang out with us tonight at the pub."

"I am not doing that!" Gwen dropped her voice, hoping none of the other café staff could hear them.

Somehow, Vivian's grin only got wider. "I think he likes you too, if that helps. He walked past just now, asking where you were."

"Hush! He was just being friendly." But the warmth that unfurled in her stomach belied her words.

"Well, if you're too shy, I can talk to him for you."

"Don't you dare!" Gwen tried a scowl but that only made Vivian laugh. "What do you want today?"

"Well, if you can concentrate around Lance's good looks, I'd have the chicken and mushroom pie."

"Alright." Grabbing her purse, Gwen pushed her way through the crowd to the counter. The queue to order was long but this time, it didn't bother her as it gave her the chance to look surreptitiously at Lance. His dark, longish hair framed the most gorgeous face she'd ever seen. She watched the way he smiled at the customers and the way his hands moved. She still remembered the first time she saw him. He'd come to clean up the table she and Vivian were at. One flash of his smile and she'd been in love. Self-consciously, she tucked her curls behind her ears, hoping that she looked at least presentable.

"Excuse me. If you don't want to order anything, you shouldn't be standing in line. The line is moving."

Gwen spun around. "I'm – oh, it's you!"

Recognition filled the man's eyes. "Ah, you're the grumpy one from this morning."

"Grumpy? You bumped into me!"

"I did." He smiled, clearly not feeling the least apologetic. "But you did turn suddenly so it's hardly my fault."

"It was because you weren't paying attention to anyone in front of you."

He looked at her without saying anything for a while. Then he raised a hand and pushed her gently. But before she could smack his hand away, he said, amusement lacing his words, "It's your turn to order."

Biting her lips to stop herself from saying something she would regret, Gwen turned back to the bar. Lance smiled at her and the annoyance that had taken up residence in her since that awful man started to speak to her ease.

"You look stressed," said Lance. Unfairly, he looked perfect.

"That's what happens when I have to deal with annoying people," said Gwen, childishly loud. She thought she heard that man laugh behind her.

Lance's smile turned sympathetic. "How about I throw in a free drink for you today? Will that cheer you up?"

You taking me out on a date would cheer me up. But Gwen kept the words in her mind. "You don't have to."

"I want to. So, what are you having today?"

After taking her order, Lance went to grab her tea. Absently, Gwen tapped the counter and admired the way Lance's muscles moved as he made her tea.

"You should keep your flirting to when the café isn't quite so crowded."

"Are you born annoying or is this something you work at?" snapped Gwen as she swung around.

He shrugged and held out his hand. "I'm Arthur. Arthur White. I figure we've spoken enough that we should at least know each other's names."

Warily, Gwen took his hand. "Guinevere Thomas, but most people call me Gwen."

"Beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

And whatever anger she held in her for Arthur suddenly dissipated at his cheesy line. She laughed. "I certainly hope you're not flirting with me, Mr White. Because that line was very bad. And you should know better than to flirt when the café is so crowded."

"Touché."

Worryingly, her first thought when he smiled at her was that his smile was really quite attractive.

Vivian didn't even wait for her to sit before she launched into her questions. "Who was that gorgeous man you were talking to in line? Why haven't you told me that you know someone like him? Did you notice how nicely his pants fit him?"

"No, of course not! He's just some annoying person I literally bumped into this morning." Gwen darted a glance at Arthur as Lance handed him his drink. Lance was still very much more attractive than Arthur, Gwen told herself firmly, no matter what Vivian thought.

"Well, I think he's very promising. And if you're not interested –" Vivian smiled wickedly.

"Might I remind you that you're getting married in a month? And he's a buffoon."

"Unlike Lance, of course."

Gwen smiled then. "Unlike Lance. He gave me a free drink."

That little tidbit was enough to distract Vivian. "I told you Gwen. He's interested. You just have to make a move! When he comes by to give us our food, ask him to join us for drinks tonight. Do it or I'll do it!"

"Fine!"

And she did, a thrill shooting through her when Lance agreed readily. As usual, Vivian and her spent the rest of lunch sharing job woes and gossip. Lance called out a goodbye as the two of them walked out of the café and Gwen turned, smiling and waving. Then her eyes, of their own volition, moved to where Arthur sat with a friend. He raised his eyes, meeting hers, then nodded subtly. Gwen found herself nodding back. The strange swirling feeling in her stomach, she attributed to her excitement over seeing Lance for drinks that evening. Because it definitely had nothing to do with Arthur and his smiles.


	3. First Date (or something like that)

As Gwen walked to the pub, the icy wind picked up the hair she'd carefully coiffed in the office bathroom and blew them all over her face. So much for looking her best for Lance. Live music leaked from the pub and a few people were already standing outside, smoking, drinking and talking loudly. Vivian stood outside the pub, bouncing on her feet to ward off the cold, when Gwen arrived. "You look different – in a good way."

"I just redid my make up." Gwen was sure the pink on her cheeks was not the work of her blusher or the cold night wind. "Is it too much?"

Slinging an arm around Gwen, Vivian shook her head. "You look lovely. Lance will be completely awe-struck. Oh. Look who's here."

Gwen looked at the direction Vivian was staring and with a sinking heart, realized that among a group of men walking towards them was Arthur White. "Why is he here?"

"How would I know? Maybe he has a thing for you." Vivian nudged her side. "Why don't you go say hi?"

"No. He may have a thing for me but I certainly don't have a thing for him." Gwen turned her back on Arthur and his group, suppressing the weird urge to attract his attention. It didn't make sense. Arthur was rude and obnoxious. He still hadn't apologized for knocking into her that morning. "Is Roger coming?"

"He said he'll drop by later. Do you want to go in or wait for Lance here?" Vivian rubbed her hands as a cold wind blew past. Gwen pulled her coat more tightly around her and pushed her hair out of her face. Just as she was about to answer, someone else spoke.

"Fancy meeting you here." Hands shoved into his pockets, a wide grin on his face, Arthur looked pleased to see her. Far more pleased than she was. He was alone, his friends probably inside the pub. "It almost seems like you're following me around."

Smiling insincerely, Gwen replied in a saccharine tone. "I rather think it's you who's following me around. I believe I was here first."

"Ah, so you noticed me and decided to ignore me." Something flashed across his face but it disappeared before Gwen could probably decipher it. Arthur turned to Vivian. "Hello, I'm Arthur."

"Vivian." Gwen didn't like the look of speculation on Vivian's face. "Such a coincidence, bumping into each other three times in a day."

"Quite the coincidence. Why are the two of you waiting out here in the cold? The pub is nice and warm."

Gwen stuck her chin up, feeling irrationally annoyed by his very sensible suggestion. "I'm waiting for Lance."

"The man behind the counter you were flirting with?" Arthur's eyebrows shot up. "I didn't realize – never mind." He nodded at Vivian, then smiled at Gwen as he shoved his hands back into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "Have a good evening. I should catch up with my friends."

"Huh," said Vivian. Thankfully, Lance turned up just before she could say anymore. From a distance, she saw him jogging towards them, his hair flying in the wind in such a manner that she itched to run her fingers through it. His fitting jeans and t-shirt that molded to his chest gave Gwen the opportunity to watch his muscles move as he jogged. His face was red, probably a result of the cold and the jogging and Gwen thought he looked every bit the dark, sexy rogue she imagined him to be.

"Gwen. Vivian. Sorry I'm late."

Vivian waved a hand. "No matter. What's important is that you didn't stand us up. Now shall we get out of this chilly night and get some drinks?"

As Vivian walked on in front, seemingly eager to get out of the cold, Lance walked next to her, so close Gwen could feel the warm from his body. Without the familiarity of the café and the barrier of the counter between them, Gwen suddenly found herself at a loss for words. Their usual chats about the merits of various teas seemed inappropriate. Thankfully, Vivian hustled them to the bar, cutting short any awkward silence that might have been.

"Ok. Drinks? Your usual, Gwen?"

"Let me get the drinks." Lance stood. "What would you two like?"

As Lance walked away, Vivian turned her attention back to Gwen. "This is your chance. Lay all your charms on him."

By this time, Gwen's nerves were working overtime and she couldn't imagine how she would lay all her charms on Lance. "What charms?"

"Guinevere Thomas, you're a lovely, kind, gorgeous woman. Once Lance sees that, he'll be head over heels in love with you." Vivian's gaze bore unsettlingly into her. "Just be yourself. Smile more and touch his arm now and then. But be yourself."

"Alright." Gwen knew Vivian was trying to be supportive but her words only made her already churning stomach feel worse. She just knew she would make a hash of the whole thing. Perhaps admiring from afar was a better idea.

"Good. Now, before Lance returns, tell me do you think I should pay extra for customized M&amp;Ms as wedding favours? Roger thinks it's ridiculous but you know how he is. He thinks most of the wedding is ridiculous." Vivian let out a long suffering sigh.

"You're already having a horse and carriage. What's customized M&amp;Ms?"

"We've cancelled the horse and carriage, despite it being my dream. Roger thinks it's a waste of money. You'd think as a partner in his architectural firm, Roger wouldn't complain so much about money."

Gwen shook her head, trying not to laugh. This wedding had been in the works for years and the only reason Gwen was convinced Roger and Vivian would have a stable marriage was how, despite their two very different ideas of what a wedding should look like, they were still determined to get married. "Did he give up the sports themed wedding cake in exchange?"

"Of course! I already agreed to have West Ham colours as our wedding theme. I can't believe he wants to order cake toppers of us in West Ham jerseys. I don't even like West Ham. Anyway, back to the M&amp;Ms. They will be blue and maroon but I want them to have our names on it."

"You know Roger will say that since the chocolates will end up being eaten –"

"- it's a waste of money? And custom made cake toppers are not." Vivian grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest as she leaned back. "I should have married someone richer – like maybe whoever is partner in Pendragon Estates instead of partner in Perkins and Wong."

"I think Uther is married." Gwen wasn't really sure. Unlike Vivian, she wasn't all that interested in gossip magazines, much less gossip about the Pendragons.

Drinks sloshed onto the table and Gwen looked up to see Lance. Once again, her heart went into overdrive. "Who's married?" he asked amiably as he slid into a chair next to Gwen. He handed over her cocktail and their hands brushed, sending a shiver of excitement through Gwen. She remembered Vivian's words of advice. Accidental touches. She could do that.

"Gwen thinks Uther Pendragon is married but if she paid more attention, she'd know that he'd just divorced his second wife – what was her name?"

"You mean Catherine?" Lance asked. "I heard she's fighting hard for his money. Makes you wonder about marriage and if it's even worth it."

Vivian tsked, then hit Lance on the shoulder. "I'm getting married next month."

Lance's laugh was full-bodied and warm. His eyes crinkled and Gwen found herself unable to look away. "Sorry. And congratulations." He turned his attention to Gwen. "How about you? Anyone special in your life?"

"No, unless you count my cat, Excalibur. Not that I'm one of those cat ladies – I mean I have one cat only, not –"

Vivian placed a hand on hers. "She's single. And very much a catch."

Her already heated cheeks grew hotter and Gwen found herself unable to maintain eye contact with Lance. Under the table, she gave Vivian a kick which only served to widen her smile. "Don't listen to Vivian. I'm single but I'm not a catch." The moment the words tumbled out of her mouth, Gwen cringed inside.

Aside from a smile, Lance ignored her words, pinning her with an intense gaze instead. "Well, then. Tell me more about yourself."

Gwen heard Vivian say something then leave the table. "Uh, I'm a personal assistant at Leland Accounting."

"I own Corner Café."

"I know that."

"I know you know that."

"Right," said Gwen desperately as she searched her suddenly blank brain for what else to say. "What's your favourite colour?" This was beginning to sound like an awful episode of Blind Date. Soon she was going to ask him what flavour crisps he was.

"Black. Yours?" Lance took a gulp from his beer.

"Blue. Midnight blue in particular."

Then his hand covered hers. Surprised, Gwen almost yanked her hand away but she didn't. "Is that the colour of your eyes?"

"Um, no. My eyes are brown."

His thumb rubbed circles across the back of her hand and Gwen shuddered. Nerves kept her stiff and she sat there, just staring at their touching hands. With his other hand, he nudged her chin so she looked up at him. "You have very beautiful eyes."

"Thank you." Pleasure filled her as her heart started to race. Maybe he didn't realize her eyes were brown but he thought them beautiful anyway. Perhaps she should compliment his as well.

His smiled widen. "The first day you entered my café, I told myself that you're the one."

"The one?" Gwen squeaked. The conversation seemed to have taken a turn when she wasn't looking. "The one to?"

"The one I would do anything for. I've watched you – the way you smile, the way you frown, the way you stick your tongue out when you pour sugar into your tea. You're perfect."

Gwen blinked. Slowly, she withdrew her hand from his. "I need to use the ladies. Excuse me." Without waiting for him to say anything, she hopped off the stool and made her way blindly through the pub.

"Hey!" A hand snagged her arm. "Where are you going? I thought you and Lance were getting cozy."

Letting out a breath, Gwen almost hugged Vivian. "Why are you alone at the bar?"

"I wanted to give you two love birds some time alone. Bad idea? What did he do? Should I go kick him in the groin for you?"

Gwen shook her head. "He's just so intense."

"That's not good?"

"No. Not when he says I'm perfect – we barely know each other! I mean, I think he's gorgeous and I'm up to going out with him, but spending my life with him? All I know about him is that he owns Corner Café, loves green tea, knows every temperature every tea needs to be at and he likes black. I don't even know if he's an only child!"

"Ok. Calm down. So he's moving too fast – it means he's really attracted to you. And that's good right?"

Chewing her lip, Gwen nodded reluctantly.

"And you have been attracted to him since that first day too."

"Yes."

"Tell him you want to take things slowly and go enjoy yourself!" Vivian gave her a push. "And I'll be here. You remember our signal?"

On a sigh, Gwen nodded. "I'm going. I'm going."

"Good luck!"

As Gwen made her way back to Lance, she sucked in deep breaths. Just tell him you are interested but want to take things slowly. It's not that difficult. The moment she slid onto the stool, Lance apologized.

"I came on too strong."

Dredging up a smile, Gwen agreed. "Shall we start over?"

But it was amazing how quickly months of attraction could disappear in moments.

"Wood carving seems like an odd hobby." His head slightly tilted, Lance looked at her as if she was an oddity and not her hobby.

"I learnt it from my father," muttered Gwen defensively.

"And you don't watch sports?"

"Not really. Roger, Vivian's fiancé is a huge West Ham fan. So I know a little bit about the league."

"I guess F1 racing is out then."

"It just seems so pointless."

Lance emptied his mug. "I guess."

"Yeah." Gwen studied her hands again as silence descended around them, not for the first time. Peering up through her lashes, Gwen studied Lance. He was still as handsome as she thought but that pull of attraction seemed to have faded which was a pity. Although, if their conversations were so awkward now, she couldn't imagine the sex. "So, uh, did you read about that tax debate in parliament?"

"I did. What did you think?"

When Vivian suddenly returned with Roger in tow, relief flooded Gwen. "Vivian!" she said with far too much enthusiasm. "Roger, meet Lance. He owns Corner Café."

There was much shaking of hands and friendly chatter about the upcoming league season.

"Well?" whispered Vivian.

"I don't know." Gwen replied quietly. "He's nice."

"Ah. Nice."

Before Gwen could ask Vivian what she meant by that, Roger was tugging at Vivian. "We have to go. It's a long drive back to my parents'"

"I understand congratulations are in order," said Lance.

"Thank you." Roger beamed brightly as he pulled Vivian towards him. He nodded at Gwen. "Sorry to take Vivian from you but I'm sure Lance will keep you company."

Standing, Gwen leaned over to hug Vivian. "Have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Update me on your night," Vivian said into her ear. Then, she drew back. "Goodbye! Be good to her, Lance!"

With a sinking heart, Gwen watched as Vivian and Roger walked up. Vivian said something and Roger laughed, pulling her closer. She looked back at Lance.

"Where were we?" he asked.

"Tax debates." But Gwen didn't want to talk about tax debates. "Look Lance. I think you're a great guy and –"

"Is this the brush-off speech?"

Gwen looked back down at the table. "I'm sorry."

"You know I think you're a wonderful person."

Frowning, she looked at Lance. "You don't know me. I could be a serial killer."

"Are you?"

"No!"

"You don't think we're compatible?"

Shaking her head, Gwen smiled wryly. "We have nothing in common. We can't even keep up a proper conversation."

"I do like you a lot." Lance tried again but Gwen was disappointed, tired and dying to get back to her apartment. "How about we have dinner one night?"

"Maybe. I'll call you?" Grabbing her handbag, Gwen stood. "Thank you for this evening."

Lance stood as well, and brushed his lips across her cheeks. Strangely, Gwen felt nothing. "Good night Gwen."

"Good night."

As quickly as she could, without actually running, Gwen left the pub. The cold fresh air hit her and she hurriedly pulled on her coat. It was a short walk to the tube station, then a few stops back to her apartment. She couldn't wait. A group of men walked past her, laughing and talking far too loudly. She ignored them, until she noticed one of them leaving the group.

As if her night couldn't get any worse.

"Arthur," she bit out when her feet took her to where he lingered.

"Not much of a gentlemen is he? Letting you walk home alone."

"I'm perfectly capable of going home on my own." Pushing past him, she picked up the pace. But his legs were longer and Arthur caught up easily with her.

"Where are you headed?"

"North," she muttered, still walking.

"Fancy that. I'm heading that way too." His grin was bright in the moonlight.

"What about your friends?"

He chuckled. "They'll get home safely without me. Give me a moment."

She should hurry on and leave Arthur behind but instead, she found herself waiting as Arthur jogged back to where his group was. There was some discussion and Arthur looked like he passed someone a car key, but she must have been imagining it since there was no reason to take the tube if he had a car. It was a silly thought anyway. Who had enough money to own a car in the city?

Arthur jogged back to her, his grin still on his face. "Come on. Our tube ride awaits."

Against her better judgement, she smiled, shoved her hands into her pockets and walked next to him.


	4. Late Night Kebabs

Sauce from the kebab ran down her fingers as she attempted to stuff it into her mouth. Across the table, Arthur was barely containing his amusement. After a while, she finally swallowed the mouthful of kebab, then narrowed her eyes at him. That only caused him to smile even wider.

"You have sauce on your cheek. The left one."

Lifting her hand, Gwen rubbed her cheek only for Arthur to laugh, then reach out with a napkin. At his light touch, she shivered.

"There. You're all pretty again."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty even with sauce on my face."

"That you are." He said it so softly to the table that Gwen only barely heard the words. Then he looked up and caught in his gaze, Gwen found herself unable to look away. The tension that enveloped them was different from the one she'd just escaped from with Lance. This pull, this pulsing awareness should have been her and Lance, not her and rude man she barely knew.

"So," said Gwen, pulling her gaze away. "I know you lied." Expecting him to smile, she was surprised when he frowned. Perhaps she'd judged his sense of humour wrongly.

"Lied?"

"About being hungry. You barely ate your kofta."

At her words, he relaxed visibly and shrugged. "It wasn't that great."

"Next time, I'll bring you to a place with much better kofta," Gwen said without thinking, regretting her words immediately.

Arthur's eyes brightened. "So there will be a next time?"

"Maybe I'll just text you the address," she muttered, then stuffed the last bit of kebab into her mouth before she said anything else silly. His lips quirked up, but he said nothing, seemingly content to watch her chew her food. Gulping down the kebab, Gwen sought to break the silence. "It seems a little unfair that you know so much about me and I know nothing about you."

He leaned forward, resting his arms on the sticky table. "I wouldn't call knowing your name and where you like to eat lunch knowing a lot about you. But, you're free to ask me anything."

As the sole staff in the tiny shop cleared up their plates, Gwen leaned back and studied Arthur. He dressed well, oozed confidence and seemed to always be smiling at her. At first look, he looked no different from the many office workers that thronged the business district where she worked. But there was something different, only she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Where do you work?"

"I'm the IT manager with Kelps."

"That huge supermarket chain? Huh. If, let's say hypothetically, my personal notebook is currently trying its best to disguise itself as a paperweight, would this be something you could solve?"

This time, she knew he was amused because his eyes crinkled. "I'm not in the habit of doing things for free."

"What would you consider appropriate compensation then? I'm thinking along the lines of maybe a home cooked meal?"

Shifting in his seat, stretching his legs out, Arthur cocked his head. "Well, my hourly rate is probably in the range of £40. But for you, I'd accept a home cooked meal with pleasant company."

"Pleasant company?"

"I find your company pleasant. If you haven't noticed."

"I rather thought you found my company more than pleasant." Heat rose in her cheeks. She couldn't believe she was flirting with Arthur. Where were all these flirting skills when Lance was around?

When Arthur beamed, it was a very good beam, she thought. "Definitely more than pleasant. Now that you know I'm an IT manager, what do you do?"

"I'm a personal assistant with Leland Accountants."

Arthur nodded. "They do good work. I liked how they handled the Lockheed account last year."

"What? Do you read business reports for fun?" asked Gwen. "Why would you know about a small company like mine?"

He shrugged. "Always good to keep abreast of the business world."

Despite biting the inside of her cheek, Gwen couldn't help the disbelieving laugh that escaped her. "You are so strange. Unless you're some big shot CEO, I can't imagine wanting to read such things."

"Sorry, we're closing. Can we settle the bill?" The waiter sounded more annoyed than sorry. Not that Gwen could blame him. Although the little restaurant had been a quarter filled with people having their post-beer kebab when they had entered, she and Arthur were the only people there now.

"Let me pay," said Arthur.

In shock, Gwen looked up and saw that Arthur had his wallet out, his wallet he'd claimed he lost at the tube station.

"Didn't you say you lost your wallet earlier?" She was such a fool. Just because Arthur was well dressed and smiled a lot, didn't mean he was a good person. No wonder he had tensed up earlier when she talked about lying. Gwen stood, clutching her bag to her.

"Oh! Right. Um, I guess my wallet isn't lost after all." Arthur was standing as well, a dark flush on his neck. "I really thought it was."

Unsure if she could believe him, she stalked to the cash machine. "I'll pay for my kebab. Then I'm going home."

"Gwen."

Ignoring him, she shoved a note at the very curious waiter. For the second time that night, Gwen found herself trying to get away from a man. Maybe this was a sign from the universe that she should avoid all men altogether. She could indulge in her fantasies of love and marriage through Vivian and Roger.

"Guinevere." Arthur walked briskly beside her. "I'm sorry. Hey."

She continued walked, refusing to even look at Arthur. Why did he even lie about his wallet anyway? At that thought, she stopped and stuck out her hand. "I want the money for the tube ticket back."

"Ok." Arthur pulled out several coins and dropped them into her outstretched hand. "Are we ok now?"

"You lied about your wallet! And I don't even know why. Are you a compulsive liar? What else are you lying about?"

His hands grabbed her shoulders lightly, but it was enough to stop her from spinning around and marching away. Instinctively she smacked his arms away and he dropped them. "I'm sorry. I really, truly thought that my wallet was lost. It wasn't there earlier. At least I didn't notice it."

Stubbornly, Gwen stared at her feet. She felt his hand at her chin, urging her to lift her head and look at him. With reluctance, she did. And when his hand gently cupped her face, his thumb rubbing against her cheek, she didn't pull away. "I like you. Surely you know that. Why would I lie to you?"

"To get a free tube ticket," she said petulantly even as she knew how silly it sounded.

The edges of a smile played on his lips. "I'm sorry."

Her anger long dissipated, Gwen was far too aware of the light touch of his hand. She wondered if he could feel the way her heart was pounding. "Whatever. I'm going home." But there was no heat in her voice.

"I'll walk you." When his hand dropped, Gwen hated that she wanted it back. With a huff, she continued to walk, painfully aware that Arthur was walking next to her.

Still good manners made Gwen say thank you when she got to her apartment block.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh stop it. Maybe I overreacted." She ran a hand through her hair. It was late and she was dying to curl up in her bed.

"Here. If you and café guy don't work out, give me a call." Taking her hand, he pressed a piece of paper into her palm. After he disappeared into the darkness, Gwen looked at the paper in the dim, yellow lights of the corridor. Of course he had neat handwriting. With an amused sigh, she slipped the paper into her pocket.


	5. Computer Woes

"So," Gwen and Vivian were standing in line in a supermarket, their hands full of the sandwiches and fruits they picked up for lunch. "You're telling me that you went on a date with Lance and went home with Arthur's phone number."

Gwen shot Vivian a glare. "That is the highly abridged version."

"We have 45 minutes for you to flesh out this abridged version then. I am all ears."

The sun shone high in the sky and unsurprisingly, it looked like the whole of the business district was out in full force at the park, soaking the rare weather. The choice was between sharing a bench or sitting on the grass. Ordinarily Gwen would prefer the latter if not for the fact that she was dressed in a new pair of white pants and that Vivian and grass were not a combination.

Having scouted a number of benches, they finally decided on one inhabited by two elderly women.

"We should have sat next to that hot guy in the tight t-shirt. With your recent luck, you're bound to score another telephone number."

As she unwrapped her sandwich, Gwen shook her head. "I wanted Lance's number not Arthur."

"Are you telling me you're not interested in Arthur?"

"No." Then she bit into her sandwich. She didn't. Really. Even though his name alone made her think of his face and his smile and those images made her all warm and squirmy. "No," she repeated.

"Uh huh. So tell me then, how did you end up with his number?"

With reluctance and around bites of her sandwich, Gwen divulged the events of the night before. Vivian seemed to hang onto every word and when she finally finished, Vivian was smiling so hard, Gwen almost couldn't see her eyes.

"I think I should give Lance a second chance."

Vivian frowned as she picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth. "That is the message you got from the events of last night?"

"Well, I think Lance is a really nice guy and he's hot and maybe I was just too nervous last night."

"Huh."

"Vi. You agreed that Lance was a catch."

"Yeah but that was before you had Arthur chasing you."

Again, his name conjured up feelings in Gwen that she didn't want to examine. So she busied herself unpacking the fruits they bought. Hopefully, busy hands would mean less smiling Arthurs in her head. "Arthur is a liar."

"I agree that bit was really weird. Like why lie about his wallet?"

"Exactly! He's obviously a compulsive liar or something."

"I like him," said Vivian as she leaned over and grabbed a strawberry from the punnet Gwen was holding.

"You don't even know him!"

"Well, I like his butt." Vivian grinned. "I'm sure you had ample opportunity to examine it."

This time, it wasn't just her stomach that was fluttering. Gwen was pretty sure a blush was creeping up her cheeks. "Of course not. I wasn't interested."

"Of course. So since you seem to be fixated on Lance, what's your next move?"

Gwen shrugged. "He mentioned something about dinner. Maybe I'll take him up on it."

"And Arthur?"

"What about him?"

Vivian stood, dusting off the crumbs from her black skirt. "Are you going to call him?"

"Whatever for?"

* * *

Two evenings later, Gwen stared at Arthur's number on her phone, her finger hovering over the call button. Instead of giving in to the urge, she put her phone down and pressed the power button of her notebook again.

Nothing.

She could hear Annis's voice in her head telling her to backup all her stuff. Thank god all the really important stuff were backed up in the office but there were still a ton of files and photos on her notebook that Gwen didn't really want to lose. A frantic call to Roger and she'd balked when he told her how much it typically cost to retrieve lost data.

She looked at her phone again. With a sigh, Gwen reached for it and hit the call button. For all she knew, Arthur had lied about being an IT manager as well. Still, it wasn't like she had a lot of choice.

"Hello?" Arthur was clearly out, loud music poured through her phone. She thought she heard someone purr his name. This was a foolish idea. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Sorry. I must have called the wrong number." Before he could say anything, she quickly jabbed at the call button again. Her heart was racing and she slumped against her sofa. Maybe if she spoke nicely to her landlord, he'll agree to let her pay part of the upcoming rent. Then she could afford to recover her data and get a new notebook.

_So tell me what you want, what you really, really want. _

Damn. Gwen scrambled for her phone and stared as Arthur's number flashed up at her. I don't want you, she muttered, yet she found herself tapping the accept icon.

"Hello?"

"Gwen? From Corner Café?" The quietness in the background suggested that Arthur had left wherever he'd been.

Gwen gripped her phone, hating how her traitorous body reacted to his voice. "Yes, that's me."

"Hey! How are you?"

"Fine." Now, she was being rude. "Umm, I'm sorry I called earlier. I didn't mean to disrupt your evening. You might have been on a date and you didn't need –"

She heard his chuckle. "I am so glad you called."

"Yeah?" The moment she realized she was smiling, she quickly stopped. "Well, I wanted to take up that offer from that night."

"Offer? You mean a date?"

"No! Not that I don't want to go on a date with you. I mean, I don't because I really want to make things work with Lance but I'm sure under –"

"Gwen." His firm tone stopped her from talking more but it didn't stop the feeling of abject embarrassment from flooding her. "Did you call because your notebook is in critical condition?"

"Well, yes."

When he didn't answer immediately, Gwen figured whatever interest he had in her had faded, no thanks to her runaway mouth, and he was trying to let her down nicely. "You don't –"

"And in return I get a homemade meal and your company?"

Gwen wondered if Arthur could hear her pounding heart. "Yes."

"Alright. I'll swing by in an hour to pick up your notebook."

"Oh. Ok."

"Great. I'll call you again."

Gwen spent the next half an hour tidying up her small apartment. She was straightening the rug when her phone rang again.

"Buzz me up."

"Third floor."

And then within seconds, she was face to face with Arthur again. This time he was dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans. Tight jeans. Vivian's comment about his butt played in her mind and Gwen felt her cheeks heat up.

"Hey."

"Come in." Gwen stepped back as Arthur moved into her apartment. She'd always known her apartment was small but with Arthur inside, it felt even smaller. "Can I get you a drink?"

"No, I'm good. Why don't you hand me your notebook?"

At that point, Gwen realized Arthur was empty handed. How was he going to fix her notebook without anything? "Did you forget your equipment this time?"

"Hmm? Oh! No, I'm going to bring your notebook back to my office to work on it."

She frowned. "Why can't you fix it here?"

"Because, umm, because all my stuff is in my office and it might take a while. Don't want to deprive you of your sleep." Arthur smiled.

"How do I know you won't run away with my notebook?"

"Do you really think I'm going to do that?" His smile faded and something like hurt coloured his eyes.

"Well, I hardly know you."

"Good point. I mean, I know I'm a good guy but I guess you don't know that." The hurt in his eyes was gone, replaced by warm amusement. "How about this? You drop by my office with the notebook tomorrow? Lunch time, maybe? Unless of course you have some rendezvous with café guy."

It sounded like a reasonable suggestion. "Ok."

"If you have a pen and paper, I'll give you the address."

"You don't have a name card?"

"Gave them all out. I'm in great demand." He grinned and winked at her.

Gwen hated that her heart did a little jump at that. Quickly, she grabbed a piece of notepaper and a pen. "Here. Write it here."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." And for the second time, he pressed a piece of paper in her palm. "Good night Guinevere."

Her eyes dropped to his butt as he walked out of her apartment.

One hour later, when she was tucked in bed, Gwen could still hear the way Arthur said her name and on the cusp of sleep, she wondered what it would be like if he was in bed with her, whispering her name that way.

"A second meeting with Arthur and still no dinner with Lance?" Vivian's expression was innocent but Gwen scowled at her anyway. After so many years of friendship, Gwen knew that Vivian was anything but innocent.

"I told you, Lance and I are going to have dinner tomorrow."

"And in the meantime, you promised Arthur a home-cooked meal? Ah, Gwen, I never thought you had it in you."

"Shut up. We're here." Gwen looked up at the looming, grey building. It was glass, concrete and incredibly ugly. She was glad the office building that housed Leland Accounting was a much more beautiful building. Not as gorgeous as the Pendragon Tower which reached into the sky in gentle curves, but the Fairmount Building was charming in its own way. Not like the ugly slab in front of her. She glanced at the paper again. "Seventeenth floor. Let's go."

The lift ride up was slow but finally the doors opened to a modest office. A harried looking receptionist manned the front office.

"Hi. I'm here to see Arthur White."

With a frown, the reception stared at her. "Arthur White? You must have the wrong office."

"This is Kelps's headquarters right?" It had to be with the large Kelps sign hanging above the reception area.

"Yes. But I'm pretty sure – ah, you mean Arthur White, our, erm, our IT manager."

Slightly confused, Gwen nodded. "I did say Arthur White."

"Yes, yes. It's been a busy day. I'm sorry. It's the third door on the left. I'll let him know you're here, uh, Ms?"

"Gwen."

"You may go in."

"Looks like a decent place to work," said Vivian. "And it looks like he's not lying about the job. They should hire a better receptionist though. This must be the door. Why doesn't he have his name on it?"

"I don't know," muttered Gwen, more interested in calming her now racing heart. Lifting a hand, she knocked, then opened the door slightly and peered in. The office was very sparsely furnished and whatever was there was in shades of brown and grey. At the large table that dominated the room, Arthur sat. He looked up, a smile creasing his face and he stood. Against the awful browns and greys of his office, Arthur looked even more attractive. The moment that thought crossed her mind, Gwen clamped down on it. She was attracted to Lance, not Arthur.

Next to him stood a skinny, dark-haired man.

"Gwen. And Vivian. Welcome to my office." He gestured to the other man. "This is my assistant Merlin."

"Nice to meet you." Merlin smiled. "Arthur has told me a lot about you, Gwen."

"Ah, well, Gwen has - " said Vivian. Gwen elbowed her. It achieved its aim of getting Vivian to stop talking.

"I brought my notebook." Digging into her bag, she pulled it out and placed it on Arthur's table. She determinedly avoided Arthur's eyes.

Merlin picked up the notebook. "What's wrong with it?"

"It won't start up. If it can't be fixed, I really hope you can rescue all my files."

"You didn't back them up?" Arthur asked and she bristled. But there was nothing she could say in her defense so she settled for glaring at him as she shook her head.

"You're going to have to leave it here for testing. We'll do our best to get it up and running. Failing that, hopefully we can retrieve the hard drive and your data." Merlin said.

Arthur nodded. "I'll call you when it's ready."

"Thank you."

He smiled, that same smile that turned her insides into goo. "No problem."

Outside the ugly building, Vivian finally couldn't contain herself anymore. "Are you sure you're not interested in Arthur? Because the sexual tension was ooooh."

"Ooooh is not an adjective." Gwen walked faster. "And I have a date with Lance tomorrow."

"Whatever you say, Gwen. I say you're a lucky, lucky girl. And you're in denial." Behind Gwen, Vivian's laughter floated in the wind.


	6. Two Dinners

Gwen recalled Vivian's words about her being a lucky, lucky girl as Arthur pressed her against her very thin walls, his hands against her waist, and kissed her like she'd never been kissed before. It was hard, gentle, wet and oh so Arthur. Her own hands slid into his hair, pulling him as close as possible. Vivian was right, she was a very lucky girl.

"This is the best home-cooked meal I've ever had," Arthur breathed against her cheek when he finally pulled away.

With a smile, Gwen trailed a finger across his swollen lips. "And you haven't even had dessert yet."

* * *

_Two nights ago_

The appertiser wasn't too bad actually. Lance told her about his day as he slurped up his soup. Gwen nodded in all the right places, then told him about her day. It was a good exchange of information, if only Gwen was interested in Lance's day. Which she was, she supposed. In an abstract, _I wonder what café owners do every day_ sort of way. Still, the soup was creamy, the bread warm and Lance was easy on the eyes.

It was when the main dish arrived that everything seemed to go to pot, which Gwen thought with a wry smile, was apt since they both had decided to share a pot of mussels. As she fished out a juicy mussel, Gwen half-listened as Lance talked about some major racing news.

"I'm boring you." Lance's hand touched hers gently. "I'm sorry."

"Oh no. It's all very interesting." Gwen nodded earnestly. She'd technically known Lance longer than Arthur, yet being with Arthur in that kebab shop was like wearing her favourite pajamas, comfortable and natural, no thought needed. Lance was one of those new fancy, new dresses she was forced to wear to office dinners, during which she was constantly aware of it. "I was wondering, do you have a favourite pair of pajamas?"

Lance's eyes widened. "Well, they are all the same, aren't they? Just something you sleep in."

"But your very best pajamas are the ones that wrap around you like a hug, keeping you warm and secure. In them, you sleep the best."

"I see. I've never had problems sleeping in my pajamas."

"I suppose not." Gwen looked down at her grilled salmon and cut a piece. "This is a nice place. How did you know about it?"

Lance shrugged. "I walked past it one day."

Then it was as if the conversation dried up. Lance asked about her wood carving, she asked about his family but no matter what topic they tried, nothing seemed to last more than a few turns and to Gwen, it felts like a strange sort of job interview. One punctuated by awkward silences and the chewing of food. But what was most mysterious was why it didn't seem to perturb Lance the way it did her.

Normally Gwen loved dessert, but painfully aware that the chemistry between her and Lance was in the negative numbers, she politely declined.

"A headache?" Lance said worriedly. He really was a lovely man and Gwen wished that they could work out but two failed dates was probably the point where any sensible person would draw the line. Vi was definitely going to have a field day when Gwen told her about this tomorrow.

"I'm sorry. I'd love to –"

He raised his hand, then placed it gently over hers. Gwen's "Don't be. Why don't I get the bill then I'll send you home."

Home was just a short 15 minute walk away and Gwen was pleased that her fake headache meant that conversation was kept to a minimum. She had her hand in his arm, after he offered it and she wasn't quite sure how to turn it down. It was relief that filled her when her apartment building loomed in front of her. Slipping her hand from him, she stuffed them into her pockets.

"Guess I'm home."

Lance stepped closer. "Yes," he said quietly.

He was going to kiss her. She had two choices, duck so he either kissed emptiness or her cheek or allow the kiss. The latter, she decided. After all, they might not be great at talking to each other but perhaps, there was some physical chemistry she hadn't yet had a chance to experience.

His lips were warm and gentle, lightly brushing across hers. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the feel of Lance. He smelled nice, of linen and his hands were at her waist. It was pleasant.

Gwen took a step back. "Lance –"

Her feelings, or lack of, must have been written all over her face because he simply shook his head. "It's fine. Maybe I'll see you at the café some time? Don't avoid it because of me."

"Of course not! You serve the best tea blends."

His laugh was genuine and he pulled her into a hug. "It still was a pretty good dinner. I think we were both trying too hard to make this happen."

"Probably," she smiled back, feeling much better. "Thanks."

"Good night, Gwen."

* * *

Toeing off her shoes, Gwen nodded as Vivian chattered on. Which was silly since it wasn't like Vivian could see her through the phone, or that Vivian cared if she was really listening. With the wedding coming, she had taken to talking Gwen's ear off about every single detail. Gwen had learned quickly that Vivian wasn't actually looking for advice or opinions. She was looking for validation.

"I think that monogrammed napkins would look lovely on the table."

"Of course they will. Don't forget the dress fitting this weekend!"

Gwen dropped onto the sofa, cuddling Excalibur to her, only to be smacked in the face by him. "I have it written down on my diary."

"Good. I'm still mad with Roger. He still insists on wearing a maroon cummerbund!"

"I'm sure everyone will be too taken by you to notice that Roger has a maroon cummerbund on." Gwen grinned as she thought of Vivian's massive, overly-detailed wedding dress.

"Pfft. Enough about my wedding. Tell me everything about your date with the lovely Lance."

With a sigh, Gwen relayed the evening's events.

"Hmm," said Vivian thoughtfully. "How about Arthur then?"

"I'm still recovering from Lance disappointment!" But it was so easy to picture Arthur with his teasing and his smile.

"I think you should use Arthur to help you recover. Even if you don't like him, you have to admit you are physically attracted to him."

"Ugh." Gwen laughed. "I think it's too late and your wedding-addled brain is not thinking straight."

"I bet that your homemade dinner with Arthur is going to be hot."

Gwen stuck her tongue out. "Yes, hot because the food will be hot."

* * *

_Notebook done! Everything good. Nice cat photos. :D ~ Merlin_

_Wonderful! Should I go down to collect it?_

_I think Arthur wants to return it to you personally. Said something about a home-cooked meal. Seeing that I did the repairing, I'm wondering if the invite includes me. JK! ~ Merlin_

_Of course! I thought Arthur was going to do the work._

_He wanted to but I'm better. ~ Merlin_

_How does dinner tomorrow sound? You and Arthur._

_Sounds good. I'll check with Arthur and let you know. Cheers ~ Merlin_

Gwen dropped her phone onto the dining table. The grin that spread across her face was because her notebook was fine of course. Rolling her eyes at herself, Gwen allowed herself to think of Arthur and of seeing him again. It was a very good thing, she decided.

* * *

Gwen wiped her hands on her apron. She was a decent cook and she often cooked when Vivian and their friends from school hung out in her apartment but this time, she was nervous. It wasn't a surprise that she was nervous but it was a little of a surprise just how nervous she was. The vegetables and sides were done and warming in the oven. All that was left were the steaks but that was to be done only when Arthur and Merlin arrived.

The doorbell rang just as she tugged on a fresh t-shirt. Taking a breath to calm her racing heart, Gwen slowly went to the door. She peered through the peek hole and saw the two of them. Just seeing Arthur again made her stomach flutter.

"Hey! Just on time," said Gwen as she pulled open the door.

Arthur smiled and passed her a bottle of wine. "I brought wine."

Clutching it to her chest, Gwen nodded. "Thank you."

"I brought something better – your almost as good as new notebook." Merlin stepped into her apartment, her notebook cradled in his arms. "Where shall I put it?"

"On the coffee table will be fine."

"Great." Merlin wandered off, leaving her and Arthur still at the door.

She smiled, quite aware that she was probably blushing. "Thanks for the wine."

"You look great." Arthur shrugged off his jacket. Gwen wanted to say he looked great too in the fitting red shirt that stretched across his chest but she just bit her lips and walked into the kitchen.

"We're having steak. How do you like them done?"

"Medium," yelled Merlin from the sofa where he'd made himself comfortable. With a frown, Gwen noticed that Excalibur too had made herself comfortable on Merlin.

"Do you want me to take Excalibur? I'm sorry. She usually isn't so friendly." Gwen moved towards the sofa.

Merlin tickled Excalibur, eliciting a purr from him. "It's fine. I love cats."

"He does," said Arthur. Gwen jumped, not realizing how close Arthur was to her.

Slightly flustered, she took a step back. "How do you want your steak?"

"Medium is good too. Do you want help?"

"I can manage."

Arthur's chuckle seemed to spread through her. "Well, I'll hang around in the kitchen with you anyway."

"By all means. But you might as well make yourself useful then."

"I'm willing. Not sure about being able though," Arthur said with amusement.

"I'm sure you're capable of dishing out mash."

As Gwen grilled the steaks, Arthur heaped mash potatoes onto the plates. When she turned to check on him, she noticed that one plate had significantly more potato than the other.

"Arthur White! Have you given yourself more potato?" She waved her tongs at him.

"That depends. Do you like mash?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes."

"Well, then. It's obviously your plate. You deserve more mash after all your hard work."

"I don't believe you for a second!" But she was laughing and shaking her head at him as he redistributed the potato.

"I like mashed potato," he pouted.

Later, when she sent him out to set the table, she heaped on more potato onto his plate.

Conversation was light and easy, ranging from Merlin's various conspiracy theories to Arthur's travel adventures. Merlin had found some of her wood carvings and insisted that Gwen tell them how she got started. When she finished telling the story of her father and how she learnt wood carving at his knee, Arthur was fondling a bird she'd carved and looking at her with something akin to amazement in his eyes.

"It's beautiful," he said. "You're brilliant."

She flushed and hid her embarrassment behind a huge gulp of wine.

"It's a cool hobby. I don't suppose you want to teach me?" Merlin asked.

Arthur scoffed. "You'll hack off your thumb!"

"Not under Gwen's guidance. Or do you want her - Ow! Did you just kick me?"

"No. You kicked yourself," said Arthur dryly. "Ignore Merlin. He's a little strange sometimes."

In response, Merlin rolled his eyes, then shot Gwen a pleading look. Biting the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing, Gwen stood. "Let me take the dishes."

"I'll help!" Merlin jumped up and picked up some of the plates. "Don't bother asking Arthur. He's a spoilt brat."

"Merlin."

"Oh alright. Arthur is a handsome, intelligent –"

"Merlin!"

Taking the plates from Merlin's arms, Gwen finally let herself laugh. "Why don't the two of you go squabble on the sofa? I'll just dump these in the sink and be right out."

But when she stepped out of the kitchen, it was just Arthur left sprawled on the sofa, twirling another wood carving of hers in his hand. She cleared her throat and he looked up, a slow smile spreading across his face, a slow smile that did strange things to her stomach.

"Where's Merlin?"

"He had to go back. Needs to feed his dog."

"Ah."

Arthur placed the carving on the coffee table then stood. "You sound doubtful."

"He didn't mention a dog."

With slow, deliberate steps, Arthur moved towards her, the smile faded, his eyes dark. When he finally spoke, he was so close, a slight movement was all that was needed to touch him. "You're right. I lied. I told him to go because I wanted some time alone with you."

"Why?" The word came out instinctively.

He smiled again as he touched her cheek lightly. "Do you really need to ask?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Tell me you don't feel this attraction. Tell me you and café guy are seeing each other."

Gwen's eyes closed and she sucked in a breath of him. "Café guy and I are just friends."

"Best news I heard all day." His mouth was so close, she could feel his warm breath against her face. "Are we friends too?"

She opened her eyes and stared into his blue ones. "I would hope not because friends don't do this." And in the most impulsive decision of her life, she tip-toed and kissed him. For a moment, when he didn't move, Gwen thought she'd made a horrible mistake but before she could pull away, Arthur's arms were around her, his lips moving against hers.

Gwen recalled Vivian's words about her being a lucky, lucky girl as Arthur pressed her against her very thin walls, his hands against her waist, and kissed her like she'd never been kissed before. It was hard, gentle, wet and oh so Arthur. Her own hands slid into his hair, pulling him as close as possible. Vivian was right, she was a very lucky girl.

"This is the best home-cooked meal I've ever had," Arthur breathed against her cheek when he finally pulled away.

With a smile, Gwen trailed a finger across his swollen lips. "And you haven't even had dessert yet."

"Are you offering dessert?"

"Yup. You have a choice between chocolate and cookies and cream ice cream." At his groan, she giggled and slipped from his hold. "I'm offering ice cream and kisses."

"That," he said as he snagged her hand, stopping her from moving into the kitchen, "is an offer I can't refuse."

* * *

AN: I suspect the next update might take a while. Meanwhile, know that I am grateful for all of you reading and those of you who leave such lovely comments.


	7. Three Weeks of Dating

_Day 5_

Waving at Lance who was busy fixing some broken equipment, Gwen took her sandwich and tea and pushed her way through the crowd to where Vivian sat.

"He got lost at the station?" Vivian laughed. "That's a terrible excuse!"

Gwen smiled. "He just seems really hopeless with the tube. I don't know how he gets around. Maybe he never leaves his neighbourhood."

"Until now. He seems to spend every evening in your apartment this week. Good thing I put down a plus one on your invite."

"It's only been a little more than a week." Gwen felt her cheeks heat. One week since he first kissed her and somehow she found herself spending almost every evening with him since. "Who knows if we will still be seeing each other in another month?"

Vivian scoffed. "The way you talk about him – I'm pretty sure you'll last a month."

"What will last a month?" Arthur appeared suddenly at their table. His gaze fell on her and his smile softened. "Hey."

"Hey."

"Vivian. Have you met Merlin?" It was then Gwen noticed that Merlin was behind Arthur. "He's my assistant."

Merlin sighed. "And friend. Hi."

When the two of them procured chairs from somewhere and joined them, Arthur asked his question again. Suddenly, Gwen's tea looked really interesting and she carefully poured in the sugar and stirred.

"You two."

Merlin coughed, then yelped, then muttered a quiet apology.

Gwen felt Arthur sling an arm around her shoulders and squeeze. "I hope she will continue seeing me for more than a month."

She looked up then, distracted from Vivian's squeals by the emotions in Arthur's eyes. His smile was slow and small but the look on his face warmed her heart more than any other gesture from anyone had before. Slipping one hand into his, she returned his smile.

* * *

_Day 8_

"You have chocolate on your face." Before Gwen could even respond, Arthur leaned over and kissed her. "And now you don't."

"Really? Or were you just looking for a reason to kiss me?" She continued dipping the little balls of cake into the melted chocolate, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing how his kiss affected her.

He chuckled. "I don't need an excuse to kiss you." And to prove his point, he kissed her other cheek.

"These cake pops aren't making themselves, you know." With an exaggerated sigh, she shoved some lollipop sticks at him. "Keep poking."

"Yes, ma'am."

This time, she darted a look at him and smiled. Her kitchen worktop was far too small for the both of them to be working side by side, but there was something to be had being pressed against his side as they jostled for space.

Arthur popped a crumb of cake into his mouth. "I can't believe you took a perfectly good cake and mashed it up to make small cake balls."

"Cake pops. And they are cute."

"Why couldn't you just buy a present?"

There wasn't any judgement in his tone, just a genuine curiosity. Gwen placed the ball of cake she just coated onto the colander and looked at Arthur with a frown. "Because the effort shows I care."

Arthur raised his eyebrows and made a little noise.

Shaking her head, she picked up another ball of cake. "Besides, do you know how much toys are these days? And, I've always wanted to make cake pops. Anyway, this is fun."

"I guess," said Arthur but he was smiling fondly at her. Unable to help herself, Gwen kissed his shoulder, earning herself one on her head.

Then, a cake pop dropped off the stick and landed with a splat on the worktop.

* * *

_Day 11_

Gwen watched as Arthur cleaned up the last bit of kofta on his plate, smiling smugly when he finally looked up at her. "Well?"

"I admit this is very good."

"Best kofta?"

"Well, in order to determine that, I'd have to taste every kofta available and –"

Gwen laughed and tossed her napkin at him. "You just won't admit that you were wrong."

"I wasn't wrong. I was skeptical. There's a difference."

"Whatever you say. Let me get the bill." Digging into her bag, she tried to find her wallet in its dark depths. Which of course she couldn't although she did find the house keys she thought she'd misplaced. "Oh. This bag is impossible."

"Pockets," said Arthur, his turn to be smug as he stood and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. "I'll get the bill."

As they walked out of the small restaurant, Gwen grumbled even as she went through her bag again. "I would use pockets if women's clothes designers actually bothered putting proper pockets on our clothes."

Behind her, she heard Arthur chuckle, then he was next to her, slipping his arm around her waist. "Found your wallet?"

"Yeah," she sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about tomorrow. Long day ahead."

Arthur kissed her head. "Why? What's happening?"

"It's another of Cenred's meetings. He's –"

"The CEO of Mercia Construction. I know him. Loves meetings – I suspect that is the only social interaction he gets. He probably doesn't have friends."

Laughing and shaking her head, Gwen shoved Arthur lightly. "He's just very particular."

"And you, Ms Guinevere," Arthur stopped and flicked her nose, "you are far too kind. Cenred is a pain who can't make up his mind."

"Maybe, but he is our biggest client." Gwen walked ahead, only to feel Arthur catch her hand and thread his fingers through them. "How do you know him anyway? Does he have dealings with your company?"

"Well, everyone has heard of him. Cenred has a reputation."

Gwen peered up at Arthur but the darkening sky kept half his face in shadows. "If you say so. You seem really well-versed in the upper echelons of the business world. Do you have a subscription to one of those fancy magazines about the going ons in the business world?"

His smile was wide and even in the approaching darkness, Gwen could see the twinkle in his eye. "No. But I do subscribe to the Financial Times."

"I really hope that isn't your reading material for relaxation. I don't think I could date someone who reads the financial times for fun," Gwen said lightly.

Arthur stopped walking but kept hold of her hand, making her stop as well. "You don't mean –"

"I was just teasing. I can't imagine what could possibly be interesting between those pink sheets though. And you don't actually fit the description of –" Her words were cut off by Arthur's lips landing on hers.

When they finally stopped for air, Arthur stroked her hair and stared at her. "I really like you Gwen. And I want to still be here a month later."

She didn't know what to say so she hugged him instead.

* * *

_Day 15_

When, after a meal at her place, Arthur once again leaned back in his chair and sighed with satisfaction, watching as she cleared the table once again, Gwen decided she had enough. She liked him, a lot if she was honest with herself, but this was too much.

"Are you just going to sit there while I clean up?"

"Oh. Right. Here." The smile slid from his face and he quickly got out of his chair. Clumsily, he took the bowls from her hands and walked to the sink.

But Gwen was in a huff. "Really. One would think that you had a housekeeper who picked up after you 24/7. Just because you are a guest in my home doesn't mean you just leave me to do everything. The least you could do is offer to help, especially after I worked the whole day, then rushed back to cook you a meal. You shouldn't need to be told to think of someone other than yourself, you're not a child. "

By the time she ended her rant, Gwen had ran out energy and Arthur was staring at her with an expression she couldn't read. She let her eyes close, worried about how Arthur would react. There was some movement, then Arthur was cupping her face.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I was being selfish." His thumb rubbed her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Gwen let out her breath slowly and opened her eyes. "I didn't mean to go off on you like that."

"I suppose I deserved it. We're alright, right?" The worry in Arthur's eyes melted her heart and she nodded. "Good. I'll wash up while you go rest."

Later, he handed her a glass of wine, then settled down on the sofa next to her. Tilting her head, she grinned up at him. "You're not very good at washing up, are you?"

"Now what gave you that idea?"

Gwen laughed and snuggled closer to him. "Because your shirt is soaked and you took forever. But, thank you for doing it."

"Next time, you can show me how to do it the right way," he murmured, tangling his fingers in her curls. "Now didn't you say you'll tell me the stories behind your wood carvings?"

* * *

_Day 20_

Gwen stared at herself in the mirror, smoothing her hand down the lace that clung to her body. At the store, the saleslady had gushed over it, saying that her boyfriend was not going to be able to resist her. She wasn't so sure now.

Aside from a lot of very enjoyable kissing, she and Arthur hadn't moved very much beyond that. And Gwen really wanted to. Hence the slightly awkward conversation with Vivian which culminated in the lingerie purchase. But now, her nerves were getting the better of her. What if the reason that Arthur hadn't initiated anything was because he didn't want to?

This was a bad idea.

Before she could change out of the lingerie, the knock came. Quickly tugging on the matching robe, she made her way to the door. Arthur's brows rose as she pulled open the door, then he let out an appreciative whistle.

Gwen sucked in a breath. This was it.

That Arthur's first action when stepping into her apartment was to pull her towards him and kiss her hard, his hand pressing her so close to him that she had solid evidence he wanted her, gave her confidence a huge boost and she was glad she didn't change.

"A robe?" He smiled at her. "What do you have planned tonight?" As he spoke, his hands ran over her, sliding down her waist to her hip. His head dipped and he kissed her neck.

"Nothing." Biting down on her lip to stop herself from grinning, she extricated herself from his hold, finally laughing when he growled at her. "You must be hungry. I ordered Thai. It's in the oven."

"Need me to do anything? Shall I strip to match you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Go sit down or you won't get dessert."

After the time she blew up at him, Arthur washed up after dinner every time. Lazily flipping the channels on the television, Gwen sat on the sofa and waited for him. She was almost dozing off when Arthur gently took the remote from her and switched the television off before settling down next to her.

"I don't believe that you got all dressed up to watch television."

"No. I guess not," said Gwen.

"I am itching to find out what you have under that very lovely robe."

Gwen grinned. "Aren't you moving a little too fast?"

"Hmm." Somehow, Arthur had maneuvered the two of them so she was lying on the sofa, the cushions pushed to the floor, and he was leaning over her. "How about we warm up first and when things get warmer, you can take off that robe?"

"You talk too much." Lifting her head, she captured his lips, smiling when he groaned, then let himself sink onto her. For a while, they simply kissed, her hands loosely around his waist while his gripped her hips. Then she moved, slipping one hand under the t-shirt he wore, palming his warm, smooth skin. He sucked in a harsh breath, breaking their kiss. Desire clouded his eyes as he looked at her.

"Are you sure?" he rasped. His hands tightened at her hips.

She moved one hand to his nipple and brushed her thumb over it, lifting her head again to kiss him once more. "I'm sure. I trust you."

Whatever she expected, it certainly wasn't Arthur stiffening, then scrambling off her. Confused and hurt, Gwen sat up and dragged a cushion from the floor to cover her. Her heart was pounding and her mind going a mile a minute as she tried to work out what went wrong.

"We can't do this," Arthur finally said. His breathing was hard and his face flushed. "I'm sorry."

Gwen buried her face into the cushion as humiliation coursed through her. Squeezing her eyes shut so that the tears that suddenly gathered wouldn't spill, she said as calmly as she could, "I think you should go."

Instead the sofa sank and Arthur was taking the cushion from her. "Guinevere. I'm sorry sweetheart."

"Don't call me sweetheart," she snapped. She stopped staring at her lap and glared at him. "Just go."

Arthur took her hand tentatively. She didn't pull away. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"I don't understand. I thought – I thought you wanted it as much as I did." She hated how needy, how insecure she sounded.

"I do. Oh Gwen. You don't know how much I want you." He paused, as if searching for words. "When we sleep together, it'll be perfect."

"I'll settle for pretty good," said Gwen quietly. "I still don't understand."

Arthur's hold on her hand tightened and his eyes closed tightly. "I'm not ready."

"Oh." The anger and humiliation drained out of her, leaving her with a vague sense of guilt. "I didn't mean to pressure you."

"It's not your fault." His eyes opened and he repeated himself. "It's not your fault. But you're right, I should go."

At the door, Gwen leaned against the frame. "We're alright, right?"

Arthur kissed her, so sweetly it made her toes curl. "We are. And that robe, it's really gorgeous. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I never thought I'd say this, but I'll wait for you." She looked over his shoulder, worried she was revealing far too much of how she felt about him.

"Thank you." And with a kiss to her cheek, he walked down the corridor and down the stairs.

* * *

_Day 21_

"Do you think he's a virgin?"

Gwen looked at Vivian over her cup of tea. "Shhh. And I don't know. Maybe."

"Well. I would never have thought it. Lucky girl, you'll get to show him the ropes. Train him."

Slowly, Gwen placed her cup back onto the saucer, hoping the heat in the cheeks was from the hot tea. "Vi. Stop it. Tell me about the details for you wedding again."

With narrowed eyes, Vivian shook her head. "You are a crafty one. Now, the night before the wedding, we're going to –"

As Vivian recited the plans Gwen had heard before, she allowed herself to think about Arthur. He definitely made her happy, just seeing his face made her smile and more and more often, she found herself dreaming about him when she was free. He made her laugh, made her feel good about herself and it was hard to think he didn't care about her.

After lunch, as usual, Arthur was outside the café with Merlin. Sometimes the two of them joined her and Vivian for lunch, other times, he waited just to walk her back to her office. Gwen knew the moment he spotted her. A smile broke across his face and his eyes softened.

"Ah, your virgin lover is here."

"Vi!"

"Alright, alright! I'm going."

Gwen stuck out a hand. "Enjoy your leave!"

"My leave? I've a wedding to work on." Vivian shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing in the sunlight. "I have so much more to do and only 9 more days!"

"Good luck and let me know if you need anything."

"Of course! Bye!" With her usual jaunty wave, Vivian walked away.

Arthur was still leaning against the bench along the sidewalk, seemingly in conversation with Merlin, although Gwen knew his eyes were on her. As she approached them, Merlin hopped off the bench.

"Gwen!" He waved even as Arthur rolled his eyes beside him.

"Merlin! Here, remember you said you wanted a carved dragon?" From her purse, Gwen pulled out a small wooden dragon she'd carved over the past few weeks.

The awe in his eyes made all the effort Gwen put into the dragon worth it. "It's brilliant! Oh, you must let me pay you for this."

"Don't be silly. It's a present."

"Cherish it," said Arthur as he slung an arm around her shoulder. "She hasn't even carved anything for me. I'm almost hurt."

Gwen elbowed him, smiling when he grumbled. "Don't listen to Arthur. I hope you like it."

"Like it?" Merlin was still staring at it, slowly turning it around in his fingers. "I adore it. You're an amazing person, Gwen."

"Alright, you got your dragon. Now go away so I can spend some time with Gwen."

Merlin grinned. "You spend every night together. Don't think I –"

"Shut up Merlin!"

Gwen laughed, used by now to their strange friendship. "Goodbye Merlin. I'll see you again."

"Bye Gwen." Whistling, Merlin turned and walked back through the park, leaving Arthur alone with her.

His arm warm and heavy across her shoulders, Arthur led her towards her office, kissed her goodbye, then left. As she watched him walk away, Gwen smiled. When did her life get so good?


	8. The Unravelling

Annis made a sound, pushed her glasses up and frowned but even after working for her for two years, Gwen wasn't sure if it was a positive or negative sign. She rubbed her damp palms on her skirt and bit her lip. Objectively, Gwen knew she was a good personal assistant but Annis was a demanding boss and perhaps somewhere in the last year, she'd done something that wasn't up to Annis's exacting standards.

_If you want a pay raise, you need to ask for it._ Arthur's words rang in her head. It was his encouragement that she was seated here, heart in her mouth, waiting for Annis to respond to her.

"Do you find the work here challenging?" Annis pinned Gwen with a look.

"I believe I have managed well," said Gwen honestly. _Be systematic and list out all you have done for the company calmly. _"I deal with the clients, even with Cenred and his inappropriate flirting, well. I manage your appointments, I manage the filing, the office paperwork -."

Annis's fingers made a steeple on the wide, mahogany desk. "I know what you do, Gwen."

"I believe I deserve a pay rise. I did some research and I should be earning more."

Leaning back, Annis slowly pulled off her glasses. "We are a small firm and increasing your pay will necessitate cut backs elsewhere."

"I don't agree." Gwen was pleased that she sounded so confident despite the nerves tightening her stomach. Arthur would be pleased to know the rehearsal they did helped.

"What would you know about that?"

"As I said, I did my research." _Be confident and Annis will see you're serious._ "And I'm sure my value to the company is worth a pay rise."

Annis put her glasses back on and regarded Gwen. "I'll think about it."

Gwen nodded. "When will you let me know?" _If she says she will think about it, make her give you a deadline. A specific deadline._

"Next week."

"Friday," said Gwen firmly.

Annis looked at her with something almost akin to admiration, then dismissed her from the office.

The moment the door closed behind her, Gwen let out a breath. Arthur was right – it wasn't that hard. At her desk, she whipped out her mobile phone and texted Arthur, who replied immediately.

_Good for you! I'll see you tonight?_

She texted her reply as the nerves started to tighten her stomach again. Tonight. Tonight Arthur had asked her to meet his friends. Aside from Merlin and Vivian, Arthur and her had led a really isolated existence in the past few weeks. And it was about time they emerged from their cocoon she supposed, although the idea of meeting his friends made her so nervous. What if they didn't like her? What if she didn't like them? But the fact that he was introducing her to them meant he took their relationship seriously, didn't it?

It turned out that Arthur was a lot more nervous than her. On the tube, Gwen talked about her meeting with Annis and while Arthur nodded and grunted at all the right places, she could tell he was distracted. Yet he kept insisting he was fine. Eventually, they walked from the station to the restaurant in silence.

"We'll just go in, say hi and then leave. There's no need to stay." Arthur finally broke the silence, practically bounced on the balls of his feet as he spoke. There was a strange energy to him and he could barely look at her.

"We're not joining them for dinner?"

Arthur shook his head. "No. They're boring anyway. Come, let's just get it over and done with."

Before he could move to the entrance of the restaurant, Gwen placed a hand on his arm. "Hey. If you're worried about me getting along with your friends –"

His hand covered hers. "It's not you, Gwen. You'll understand later. I promise."

"You make it sound like your friends are terrible people," she said with a smile, trying to ease Arthur's strange mood. "But if Merlin and I are any indication, you probably have good taste in friends."

"Gwen." Arthur stopped walked and turned to face her, his hands landing on her shoulders. His eyes were dark and the expression on his face was strained.

Gently, she placed her palm on his cheek. "What's wrong? You know you can tell me."

For a while, Arthur simply stared at her. Then, to her surprise, he dipped his head and kissed her. "You're a good person," he whispered. "I don't deserve you."

"What are you talking about?"

But Arthur had taken a step away and was opening the door to the restaurant. Unease and fear gripped at her, she swallowed and moved into the restaurant. Arthur took her hand and they weaved through the wait staff until they reached a table at the end.

"Arthur!" A large man rose from the table. "And you must be Gwen. Come, sit down."

Gwen smiled. "I'm Gwen." When Arthur sat, she took the seat next to him.

"I'm Percy. This is Gwaine and Leon. We're delighted to meet you." There were grins all around as they each stood to shake her hand.

"We can't stay long." Arthur seemed to have become even tenser in the company of his friends.

"One drink at least." A look passed between Gwaine and Arthur that Gwen couldn't read but before she could wonder more about it, Percy started asking her about work.

"Ah, I'm a personal assistant with Leland Accounting." As she talked, she felt Arthur's hand on her back.

"So, Gwen, tell me about how you and Arthur met. How did he get so lucky?" Gwaine leaned back into his seat, crossed his arms and again, gave Arthur that inscrutable look. When she looked at Arthur, his jaw was clenched but he nodded at her. Something was going on at this table that Gwen was very aware she knew nothing about, yet was somehow involved.

"We met at the café I frequent for lunch." She tried a smile and was grateful that Arthur took her hand. Whatever it was, at least he was there, with her. With encouragement from Arthur's friends, Gwen told a highly abridged story of how they met.

"So he charmed his way into your life?" Gwaine asked. "With kebabs and steak?"

Arthur jumped in. "She provided the kebabs and steak. And she charmed her way into my life and I'm just very glad she's with me, despite me having nothing much to offer her."

Gwen looked at Arthur. The tension at the table was getting too much and she tried to ease it. "I wouldn't say you have nothing to offer. Your advice today was very useful."

"Well Arthur. I must say you did it," said Gwaine, ignoring her.

"Did what?"

This time Gwaine flashed her a smile. "Won you over. He wasn't confident."

"Oh." Gwen relaxed. Arthur was probably tense because he'd been talking about their relationship. Since Vivian knew every detail of their relationship, she couldn't begrudge Arthur sharing it with his friends. She rubbed his back and kissed his shoulder, smiling up at him when he looked at her.

He jumped to his feet. "Alright, Gwen and I have plans and we have to go."

Gwen felt Arthur tugging her and she stood. "It was lovely meeting all of you."

There was a chorus of goodbyes and Arthur practically dragged her out of the restaurant. Once they were outside, Gwen turned on him. "I hope you have a good explanation for everything! That was the strangest experience I've ever had within the context of a relationship."

"I do. Come on." Taking her hand, they walked along the busy streets in silence. They turned into a street Gwen recognized as housing a variety of posh restaurants. When Arthur stopped at one of them, opened the door and gestured her in, she froze.

Firstly, she wasn't quite dressed for such a restaurant – did she even own such a dress? – and secondly, the prices at such places were exorbitant. She couldn't let Arthur spend that kind of money.

"Gwen?" Arthur beckoned her.

"But –"

"Please." He stretched out his hand and with a sigh, she took it.

Inside, the maître d' bowed slightly and led them to their table, pulling out the lush chair and laying the napkin on her lap. Gracefully, he passed them menus and left them alone. Her hand clutching the menu, Gwen stared at her surroundings. It was dimly lit – just enough to peruse the menus, Gwen guessed. She bet all the little bits of decorations cost more than her apartment was worth. Arthur stared at the menu, looking as at home as she felt out of place. That feeling she had before of something going on that she was unaware of return, prickling her skin.

"The lamb, I hear, is very nice." Arthur said quietly, looking up.

"I don't want the lamb."

"How about the fish?"

Crossing her hands over the unopened menu, Gwen shook her head. "I want you to tell me what is going on."

"Can we order –"

"No. Please. What is going on? Because ever since I met you this evening, nothing has made any sense."

Arthur closed his menu, reached over the table and took her hands in hers. "Gwen. You – I've never felt this way about anybody before."

She opened her mouth then shut it when she realized she had nothing to say. Happiness slowly but surely started to bubble in her. "Arthur," she finally managed.

"No, wait. Let me finish. I have it all planned out." A wry smile crossed his face and she nodded. He sucked in a breath. "I think about you when I wake up, when I'm at work, when I'm in bed. Being with you makes me happier than anything."

"What –"

He shook his head. "I love you Gwen."

She beamed as she allowed her happiness to finally manifest. "I love you too," she whispered. "I love you so much. Why did you have to do it here where all we can do is hold hands?"

Finally he laughed, then squeezed her fingers tightly before bringing one hand to him and kissing her palm. Desire shot through her and her eyes closed. "I want you to remember that."

"Remember what?" She opened her eyes again, wondering at the strange tone in Arthur's voice.

"That I love you."

"Arthur –"

A shadow loomed over them. "Well, well, well. I thought it was you Gwen."

Looking up, Gwen sighed when she saw Cenred. "It's a –"

"No wonder you're always so cool towards me. You're all cozied up with Arthur Pendragon." Cenred's laugh was cold. "Well-played Pendragon. She's quite the catch."

"Pendragon?"

Cenred looked at her. "Yes, Pendragon, heir to the huge Pendragon Empire?"

"You're Arthur Pendragon?"

Gwen looked at Arthur's pale face when no denial came, and as ice slowly encased her heart, she pulled her hands from Arthur and stood. She could hear murmurs but the clientele at such a restaurant were too polite to gawk openly.

"Gwen," said Arthur standing and catching her hand. "Gwen, please."

"Let go of me, Arthur Pendragon."

He did and she walked out of the restaurant as calmly as she could, pulled out her phone and called a cab. Arthur joined her at the pavement but she turned her back on him, as her brain tried to make sense of everything. For almost a month, she had been dating Arthur Pendragon and she, foolish her, had no idea. Was this some sort of twisted game? Had he been laughing at her with all his rich buddies - at this silly, trusting girl who didn't know who he was? She looked around, half expecting his friends from the restaurant to jump out and start laughing at her.

"Was it fun? Slumming with me?" She turned to him, grasping at the anger she felt. It was far better than wallowing in the hurt. Despite the tears that pricked her eyes, she wasn't going to let him see her cry.

He moved as if he was going to touch her and she quickly took a step back. Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I may have lied about who I was but I never lied about how I feel about you. Just let me explain."

"What's there to explain? I suppose I was quite the novelty. I hope you had fun Mr Pendragon." Her cab pulled up at the curb and Gwen basked in the tiny pleasure she felt that she had the last word. Scrambling into the cab, she refused to look at Arthur even as he called her name. She gave her address and the cab started to move.

It was then Gwen buried her face in her hands and cried.

* * *

AN: Thank you for the comments! I enjoy reading them tremendously and it's really helpful in crafting the rest of this.


	9. Interlude 1

_One month and a few weeks after the bet_

"No progress yet?" smirked Gwaine. "You might as well concede defeat. And we can end this conflict over the picture. I told my lawyer this was much better than all that negotiations."

They were at the same pub that the bet had been made, only this time, Merlin was with them. Merlin who didn't know about the bet and was eyeing him curiously.

"Someone want to fill me in?"

"There's nothing to fill in," muttered Arthur. "Drinks are on me. Who wants –"

Percy laughed. "I cannot believe you didn't tell Merlin. Don't you tell him everything?"

"Probably knew he was going to fail," laughed Gwaine.

With a roll of his eyes, Arthur sighed. "Gwaine bet that I can't get a girlfriend without my name or money."

"You bet the painting?" Merlin asked in shock. "What would Aggravaine say?"

"Doesn't matter what your lawyer says. Arthur is going to lose." Standing, Gwaine grinned annoyingly. "I feel like a winner, so I'll buy us some drinks. Everyone's usual?"

Thankfully for Arthur, the conversation moved on from the bet and the painting and the rest of the evening went by fairly enjoyably. Definitely more enjoyably than his day at the office.

"I'll ride home with you," said Merlin when the evening ended. "Morgana said she'll be there."

Arthur shrugged on his jacket. "Whatever."

"I wouldn't have thought that finding a girlfriend would be so hard. I mean, you're clean, well-groomed – surely there's a girl –"

"Shut up, Merlin."

"Are you really going to give up your claims on the painting?"

As usual, Merlin ignored him. And Arthur knew from experience that ignoring Merlin wasn't going to work. If Merlin had something to say, an opinion to express, he would do it, damn the consequences. "I wasn't thinking, alright? It seemed like a good idea then – get the painting, get a girlfriend who sees me as more than just a ticket to the high life."

"Jess really did a number on you, didn't she?" Merlin shook his head.

"I don't think I was in love with her but still – didn't make me feel very good when she basically said she only went out with me because of my money." Arthur tried to sound as nonchalant as possible although even her name was enough to make his heart hurt.

"Hmm, and Aggravaine did just say you had a good claim on the painting, didn't he?"

Arthur closed his eyes and nodded.

Beside him, Arthur heard Merlin sigh. "You haven't actually tried, have you? Too used to women flinging themselves at you."

With a glare at Merlin, Arthur said curtly, "You know that the company is going through a bit of a crisis and spare time hasn't actually been available recently."

"Well the crisis is over, or so you said yesterday. So, you should go out and get a girlfriend. Obviously not at your usual haunts. Some place less exclusive, less expensive."

And that was how Arthur found himself standing outside Corner Café, hands in his pockets and staring at the growing crowd inside. Clearly it was a popular place as George, his personal assistant, had said. Apparently, their blended teas were 'to die for'. It was some distance from the Pendragon building but that was a good thing. He felt a little foolish. Instead of one of his usual suits, he'd elected to dress more casually, hoping to blend into the crowd. There were several women milling around in the café. Surely one of them would be interested in him.

"Are you going in?"

Dragged from his thoughts, he muttered an apology, pushed open the door and walked in. Almost immediately, someone turned and slammed into his chest.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" His hands landed on their shoulders to steady the both on them, and then he noticed it was a young woman.

"You're the one who should be watching where you're going!"

His brief thought that she was rather attractive disappeared when she snapped at him. It wasn't his fault she turned so suddenly.

"You shouldn't turn so suddenly! What if I had been carrying coffee?" He lifted his hands from her shoulders, barely keeping his annoyance in check.

Her only response was to shove past him, muttering something about him needing to be more careful. And even as he scowled at her retreating back, he couldn't help the thought that she was indeed quite pretty.

As it turned out, the blended tea at Corner Café was as good as George claimed.

When Arthur found himself pushing open the glass doors to Corner Café again that afternoon, he told himself it was because he wanted more blended tea, and not because he was hoping to catch a glimpse of that woman again. Yet when he found himself in line behind her, it was no denying that his heart had skipped a little. Although that was short-lived when it was clear she was far more interested in the guy behind the counter than him. Unable to help himself, he made a remark, only to be rewarded with her, eyes sparking with irritation, snapping at him again.

He could get used to this, he mused.

"I'm Arthur. Arthur White." The lie slid off his tongue as if he'd been practicing it for the bet but it was really that he didn't want her to start falling over her feet to apologise or to stare up at him with awe. Her current look of vaguely disguised suspicion and annoyance, for some strange reason, only made him more fascinated by her. "I figure we've spoken enough that we should know each other's names."

When she didn't rebuff him, instead taking his hand and giving him her name, Arthur felt his heart turn over. And when she laughed at his attempt at flirting, he knew he was completely smitten.

Gwaine was telling some story involving him rescuing a cat for his neighbour when he saw her, her coat pulled tightly across her body and her smile bright as she talked to a friend. His heart did its familiar turn and Arthur absently excused himself from his friends.

"Fancy meeting you here." Arthur knew he was grinning foolishly but he couldn't help it. "It almost seems like you're following me around."

She didn't disappoint, immediately plastering what Arthur knew was an insincere smile on her face and snapping back at him. And while he took delight in the fact that she'd noticed him earlier, he couldn't help the slight hurt he felt that she hadn't approached him.

"I'm waiting for Lance."

And that slight hurt morphed into something a lot more painful when he realized that she was serious about Lance. He smiled, trying to mask the disappointment, then went back to where Gwaine was still telling the same story.

Throughout the night, Arthur found himself unable to stop glancing at where Gwen and café guy sat alone. Their heads leaned towards each other and they were smiling. The one woman he met that he wanted to get to know better and she had her eyes set on someone else.

* * *

"Hey, the person you've been broodily watching the whole night is alone."

They had just exited the pub and were discussing what to do next when Merlin nudged him and whispered in his ear. Looking around, Arthur noticed that Gwen was indeed walking alone. Immediately, he made his way towards her.

As usual, she was less than friendly, but when she put up no big resistance to him walking with her, Arthur realized that for the first time in maybe ten years, he was going to take the tube.

"Come on. Our tube ride awaits."

Her smile was brief and slight, but it was a smile nevertheless. And Arthur smiled at her as his heart did that slow turn again.

* * *

AN: Sorry about the delay! Real life was busy. And thanks again for all the lovely comments.


	10. Interlude 2

_Day 1_

He hummed as he shaved, as he pulled on his clothes, as he made his way down the stairs. A smile curved on his face as he ran through the events of the previous night in his head. Kissing Gwen had been everything and more than he'd imagined. Even the sight of Morgana and his father at breakfast failed to dampen his mood.

"You look in good spirits. Did you clinch another contract?" Morgana asked as he poured milk into his coffee.

"Not that I know of. Although he did well with that contract crisis with Tristan. Even I was impressed by your calm negotiations."

"My, praise from father. You must have done a brilliant job." While her tone was mocking, Arthur could hear the underlying affection. He slanted her a look and she grinned at him. "As lovely as this family breakfast is, I'm late for work."

Uther harrumphed but Arthur counted it as a victory that Uther managed to stop himself from making a disparaging remark about Morgana's job at some animal welfare group.

"Bye, Morgana," Arthur muttered around a mouthful of bread.

"Be a good boy Arthur," she thrilled then waltzed out of the room. "I'm not going to be home tonight."

"Is she still with that friend of yours?" Uther asked, his eyes focused on the newspaper in front of him, as if he wasn't really interested.

Arthur knew better. "They are in love."

"Love! What nonsense. I hope you don't go falling into that trap." Uther shook the newspapers. "Look, another divorce and another multimillion dollar settlement. Ridiculous."

"You loved mother."

"We liked each other well enough." Uther said with little emotion. "She was a good wife."

Arthur gulped down his coffee. "Speaking of mother –"

"You're not going to start on her painting again, are you?" Dropping the newspapers on the table, Uther stood, signaling to the housekeeper to clear his plates. "I told you to leave it. Igraine was foolish enough to use it as collateral."

Arthur's lingering good mood from the night before dissipated. "Only because you wouldn't give her the money. Money that –"

"Arthur! This is not an argument we will have. Perhaps I made a mistake but the painting is sold, your mother is not with us anymore. Leave it alone." Without waiting for Arthur to respond, Uther left the dining room.

Annoyed, Arthur stuffed the last bit of bread into his mouth, then grabbed his phone, glancing down at it when he noticed the notification light.

_Good morning! I just wanted to thank you for last night._

Pleasure filled Arthur and he quickly replied as he slid into his car.

_It was my pleasure. I hope your notebook is working well._

_I think we both found last night pleasurable. I am probably going to have lunch at Corner Café today. It's a pity Vivian won't be able to join me._

Arthur smiled. _Such a pity. Oddly enough I was planning to have lunch there too._

_What a coincidence. I will probably be there at 1._

_Me too. See you later._

_:) See you!_

By the time Arthur reached work, he was humming again. Even Merlin's snide remark about his tuneless humming didn't stop him.

* * *

_Day 4_

Arthur hated the tube. As he sat, squashed between one man who seemed unable to close his legs and a lady who had apparently had such an exciting night that she didn't sleep and was now napping on his shoulder, Arthur wondered how Gwen would feel if he told her he was so attracted to her that he'd even bought his own travel card so he could take the tube. Something he'd not had to do in years. At that thought, that little bubble of guilt that had taken up residence in his stomach since he first kissed her made its presence known but he squashed it. When the time was right, he would explain everything to Gwen. It would be fine.

The doors opened at his stop and he found himself pushed onto the platform. People pushed and shoved around him and after a while Arthur found himself on another platform. He was late already after misjudging how long the tube ride would take and now he wasn't any closer to the exit.

"You got lost?" Gwen gaped at him, before breaking into a laugh. "You don't have to make up silly excuses. Were you busy with work?"

Arthur took her hand, loving how her fingers slid against his. "I did get lost."

"Alright. Now, you said you wanted to eat pasta?"

"That sounds good. Where do you suggest?"

She flashed him a smile. "How about home cooked pasta?"

"Sounds divine."

Gwen liked to talk – from work to her views on various topics. And Arthur never knew he loved listening so much. Hand in hand, they strolled the short distance to her apartment. She was talking about Excalibur and how he came to be her pet. It was a story of a lonely girl and a cat caught in the rain. Arthur had never been more charmed.

Back at her apartment, he lounged on her lumpy sofa as she prepared dinner. As he studied her small apartment, her carvings caught his eye. Getting up, he snagged one – it was a carving of a sparrow. It must have been one of her first works since it didn't seem as polished or detailed as the others that flanked it.

"The sparrow isn't quite as nice as the others," said Gwen.

Arthur turned. "I like it. It's not as delicate as the rest but there's a lot of heart in it."

"I like it too. I was just learning to carve then." She leaned against the door frame, smiling, her mind clearly on something else. "My dad taught me."

"You're very good."

Her eyes went back to him. "Practice makes perfect. Now, dinner is ready. Shall we?"

* * *

_Day 13_

"The tube is brilliant," Gwen declared one day. His arm was slung around her shoulders and he'd just finished grumbling about more delays on the tube. Somehow, Arthur found himself taking the tube to work. Instead of being chauffeured to his office, he woke up earlier, got driven to the other side of the city, met Gwen at her tube station and rode into the business center with her.

"It's a necessity. That doesn't make it brilliant." He grunted as someone's umbrella poked into the back of his leg.

"It is! On the tube, everyone is equal."

"You mean equally likely to be pushed and shoved and stomped on?"

Ignoring him, Gwen went on. "And look at the variety of people you get to meet! See that woman over there?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow and nodded, his eyes focusing on the woman clutching the pole like her life depended on it. "She looks like she understands the perils of the tube."

"Well, I think she works in HR and she's not in a good mood this morning because her husband forgot to make her morning coffee."

A smile tugged at Arthur's lips. "Do you make up stories about everyone you see?"

"It makes the tube journey much more fun."

"Well then, what if you had seen me?"

Gwen smiled up at him and tugged at his tie. "I would have thought you were a grumpy businessman who thinks of nothing but his job."

"Am I?"

"I know you're grouchy in the mornings."

"And, you're far too perky for mornings." Arthur pressed a kiss to her head.

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

They finally made through the crowd and out of the station. Turning to face her, Arthur placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's a wonderful thing."

Her blush only made Arthur's affections grow. "I should go. Wouldn't want Annis to be annoyed."

"Of course."

Yet, for a few moments, they stood on the sidewalk. Until someone bumped into them. With a wave of her hand, Gwen disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

_Day 21_

"Obviously this can't continue. For one thing, you are head over heels in love with her." Merlin tutted as he lounged on Arthur's bed.

"Why are you on my bed? There's a perfectly good sofa in my room."

"Stop avoiding the topic. You're in love with Gwen. Admit it."

Arthur rolled his eyes and walked over to his bed, planning to yank the offending Merlin out of it. "You already share Morgana's bed. Do you really have to be in mine too?"

"Arthur and Gwen - sounds almost legendary,"

"Shut up Merlin." Arthur kicked his bed which only resulted in his foot hurting. "I'm not sure how I feel."

"Hmm, let's see. Let's do some word association."

"This sounds ridiculous Merlin."

Merlin grinned. "Don't knock it till you try it. Elena?"

"Uh, too girly."

Merlin scoffed. "Regina Westernberg?"

"What? Um, too short?" Arthur frowned at Merlin.

"Gwen?"

"Oh." He couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"Well then," said Merlin smugly. "I think that speaks volumes."

"I need to tell her the truth. Yesterday -" Arthur faltered as he thought of the previous evening - the hurt in Gwen's eyes, the guilt that almost made him sick. "I can't keep lying to her."

"No better time than now."

Every time Arthur thought of how he'd been misleading Gwen, he felt ill. It was no different now and he slumped into his chair.

"It's only going to be more difficult the longer you wait."

Arthur scowled at Merlin. "I know that."

"We're meeting the guys for drinks on Wednesday."

"What does that have anything to do with - oh."

Merlin finally slipped off his bed. "I think Wednesday is a good day to come clean, don't you?"

By the time Arthur replied, Merlin was out of the door, probably to head towards Morgana's room.

* * *

AN: Thanks for all the comments! They really make my day.


	11. Aftermath

Just as the cab pulled away from the curb, the first text came in. Barely able to see through her tears, Gwen jabbed frantically at the delete button. Then she scrolled to Vivian's number, her finger hovered briefly over the call button for a while. But Vivian would be busy with wedding stuff and she didn't need her foolish friend crying all over her. Dropping the phone into her bag, she swiped at her tears, blinked furiously then stared blankly out of the window as the city passed her by, her mind a whirl of confusion.

The cab was turning onto her street when her phone rang. A glance told her it was Arthur calling. She rejected his call, switched off her phone and dumped it back into her bag. She blinked back stray tears. No wonder he was so clueless about the tube – he was probably chauffeured everywhere. As bitterness spread in her, she remembered that evening she'd tried to seduce him. What a fool. He probably went back and laughed about it with Merlin or those buddies at the restaurant. Silly, barely-making-ends-meet Guinevere who eats at hipster cafes and kebab stores thinking she could seduce the great Arthur Pendragon into bed. He probably only bedded supermodels and the like. Humiliation burned through her.

"Ma'am? We've arrived."

"Oh." Shaken from her thoughts, Gwen quickly paid the driver and smiled tightly when he wished her a good night.

The moment she entered her apartment, she dropped her bag, flung herself on her bed and buried her face in her pillow. A while later, she sat up, punched her pillow as she imagined Arthur's face, her mind insisting on replaying all the bits from their relationship from Arthur smearing melted chocolate on her face to him fussing over her, making her tea when she'd been down with the flu just last week.

All lies.

Still keyed up, Gwen stalked to her computer and turned it on. She spent the rest of her night on the internet looking up information on Arthur Pendragon.

_Playboy. Eligible bachelor. Shrewd businessman. In the shadow of his father. Ruthless. Gorgeous._

None of them seemed much like the person she knew. Arthur White had been kind, loving, generous and seemingly happy with the simple things in life. But she never really knew him did she? The more she thought of it, the more confused she became. What was the point of his charade? Was the whole thing just a joke? She remembered his words in the restaurant before he told her who he really was. DId he really love her? Did she love him? She loved Arthur White. Did she love Arthur Pendragon? And so what if she did? She didn't belong in his world.

Eventually, Gwen ran out of things to read. Slipping back into her bed, she punched her pillow again and then the tears she'd suppressed started to leak. Burying her face back into her pillow, she let herself cry until she drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep, her mind swirling with questions she had no answers to.

* * *

"That's the second error you've made today. And you forgot my coffee." Annis peered at Gwen over her glasses. "I don't usually pry into my employee's personal life but this isn't like you."

Gwen shifted uneasily and tried for a smile. Make-up hid the effects of a restless night punctuated with crying bouts but clearly wasn't enough to cover up the other effects of Arthur's deceit. "I didn't sleep well."

"I hope that this is a one off because I thought about your proposal yesterday." Annis waved a hand at Gwen. "Sit down."

"You did?" Gwen sat gingerly down. "And have you come to a decision?"

For a moment, Gwen thought she saw Annis smile. "I believe you wanted a decision by tomorrow."

"I did." Arthur's words floated in her head and her already heavy heart ached. Clasping her hands together on her lap, she dug her fingernails into her palm. Physical pain would distract her from the pain in her chest.

"I pride myself on being efficient."

"You are," said Gwen automatically.

There was that ghost of a smile again. "Then, you shouldn't be surprised that I have come to a decision already."

"No." If Annis was turning her request for a raise down because of her mistakes today, it would be another thing Arthur was responsible for. Anger simmered in her.

"I admit that in your time here, you've proven yourself to be a very good personal assistant. Almost indispensable – of course no one is truly indispensable. Thus, I will agree to your proposal for a pay rise."

"Ten percent?"

"Yes. Now, I will overlook your distraction today – everyone has a bad day now and then, but I need this contract revised. And be prepared for Cenred's meeting tomorrow morning."

Gwen stood. For the first time since getting into the cab last night, she smiled genuinely. "Thank you."

"Alright. No need to get all emotional. Go."

Back at her table, still on a high, Gwen instinctively dug out her phone. She scrolled to Arthur's name before she realized what she was doing. The brief joy that had filled her just moments ago was immediately replaced with the dull ache that she'd become so familiar with.

* * *

When lunch time rolled around, Gwen found herself standing in front of the crowded Corner Café. Eating there had become a habit. Usually with Vivian but more recently with Arthur. Gwen sighed. It was time for a change in habits. She'd heard from Oscar in HR that the little sandwich shop down the street was pretty good.

"Hey, Gwen."

"Lance! Why are you out here?" She turned, surprise lifting her lips into slight smile.

His responding smile was bright. "I went out to run some errands and saw you lingering outside. Waiting for Arthur?"

"No. We're - we're not together anymore." It was the first time Gwen had said it aloud to anyone and each word was like a knife to her heart.

Lance raised his eyebrows. "Well then, you should come in and I'll give you my special tea blend."

"Does it cure heartbreak?" It was supposed to be a joke but Gwen cringed when it came out like a plea.

His gaze softened. "I can't guarantee that but it's pretty good."

"I could do with some company." She probably sounded pathetic but until this moment, Gwen didn't realize how much she needed to talk to someone.

"Seeing that I own the café, I think I could spare you an hour." Lance pushed open the glass door, and nodded towards it. "Come on."

She cupped the steaming mug of tea, breathing in the aroma. Opposite her, Lance sat, watching her carefully.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

It was all the encouragement Gwen needed to spill her story in between sips of tea. Lance nodded and made commiserating noises, patting her hand every now and then.

Dabbing her eyes with tissue Lance handed her, Gwen grimaced. "And that's the story of how foolish I was."

"Arthur is the liar. It's not your fault."

A bitter laugh escaped her. "How did I not know who he was? He's Arthur Pendragon!"

"People like us, we're not exactly up to date with the comings and goings of the rich." He covered her hand briefly again. "I'm going to get you a sandwich. You need to eat something."

A few minutes later, a plate of sandwich was slid under her nose. "Your favourite. Roast beef."

Gwen looked up at a concerned looking Lance. "Thanks. You've been great, listening to me. I'm sorry I cried all over you."

"It's fine. I know we didn't quite work out but we're still friends and I still care about you."

"Thanks."

"Look, I've got to go back to work." His hand settled on her shoulder. "You'll be ok?"

"It's just a broken heart," she smiled tightly. "It's hardly fatal."

"Alright. If you want to talk, you know when I close." He squeezed her shoulder.

Gwen nodded. "Thanks."

As Lance walked away, Gwen looked out of the window she sat by. Arthur stood across the road, looking back at her. For a while, Gwen was unable to look away. Part of her wanted to run to him. In the end, Arthur shoved his hands in his pocket, turned sharply and walked away.

* * *

Gwen folded one paper flower, then dropped it into the box on the table, only to fish it out again when it was clear that it wasn't the same size as the rest. All those years of honing her hands' dexterity with wood carving and she couldn't fold a simple paper flower. As she unfolded the flower and tried again, her mind once again drifted to Arthur.

"You're doing it again." Gently, Vivian nudged Gwen's leg with her stockinged foot. "It's affecting your flower folding skills."

Gwen managed to dredge up a smile. "Sorry. Although, why the sudden desire for paper flowers at the wedding?"

"Table gifts."

"What happened to the personalized M&amp;Ms?"

Vivian shrugged. "As much as I enjoy personalized M&amp;Ms, I much prefer to get married to Roger."

"He threatened to call off the wedding because of the M&amp;Ms?" Clearly, all men were jerks, thought Gwen bitterly.

Vivian waved a paper flower. "Of course not. But we had such a row over whether the M&amp;Ms should have R&amp;V or V&amp;R on it. I figured it wasn't worth it."

"And thus your new plan is to make me take leave and fold paper flowers."

"Well, I needed table gifts, you are great at craft – or at least I thought you were – and you needed a distraction. I say this is a win-win situation."

"Funny," said Gwen sadly, "I don't feel like a winner." Grabbing another piece of paper, Gwen carefully made the first fold, before she felt Vivian's hand cover hers. The sudden expression of care and comfort made the tears that Gwen was barely holding at bay spilled over. Then Vivian was next to her and gathering Gwen into her arms.

"Why didn't you call me earlier?"

Gwen hiccupped. "I thought I could handle it and you had your wedding to worry about and –"

"You mean paper flowers and personalized M&amp;Ms? None of them are as important as you." Vivian rubbed her back soothingly. "Now, shall we drink some of the wine Roger bought for the wedding and make revenge plans?"

Wiping her face with one of the monogrammed napkins Vivian handed her, Gwen laughed. "I can't turn down such a tempting offer."

After three glasses of wine, Gwen thought that she really should have plied herself with alcohol much earlier.

"He's been calling and texting. He's got Merlin to call me too."

Vivian topped up the glasses. "I hope you blocked their numbers."

"I did. First thing I did the next morning when I woke up to five messages and two missed calls."

"Did you read any of the messages?"

Gwen shrugged. She remembered every word of every message she read that morning. "He apologized. Wanted me to call him."

"Don't."

"It's been three days and I haven't." She took another gulp of the wine. "He was at Corner Café that day."

"What a jerk. We should deface his car. Men like him love their fancy cars."

Gwen laughed again, the wine making her feel a lot less angry. "What kind of car do you think he drives?"

"Something too big I bet, to compensate for areas he is lacking."

"Lacking?"

Vivian scoffed. "It's probably good that you didn't sleep with him. All the money and ego make poor bed partners."

"Probably."

"We could write something rude on his car."

Gwen grinned. "I read about someone who hid prawns all over their ex's house. But I suspect his house will have security."

Vivian sat up. "What about putting up a singles ad in his name? We could write the most ridiculous things about him."

Laughing, Gwen drank her wine again. "I should just sell my story to the tabloids. I'll even sell them all our selfies."

"You should. That would teach him to take advantage of women."

They continued to exchange revenge ideas and for some time, Gwen was able to ignore the pain she'd been carrying around. But after a while, despite the wine in her, Gwen felt the familiar cloud of gloom sinking into her, together with all the questions that plagued her. "Why would Arthur do something like this? Why pursue me just to lie? What would he get out of it?"

"Because he's a jerk," Vivian said immediately.

"But what did he gain from this? A laugh? Then why string me on for so long? I keep asking myself and I can't come up with anything that works."

Placing her glass down onto the table, Vivian sat up. "I think that perhaps you need to talk to him again – get some closure. Then after that, we can decide on which revenge plan we want to proceed with."

"You think so?"

Vivian nodded. "Then you can move on."

"Yeah," said Gwen quietly. "Yeah."

* * *

AN: Thank you for the lovely, interesting comments. I always enjoy trying to incorporate things I read in the comments in what I'm writing.


	12. Confrontations and Regrets

AN: Sorry this took so long!

* * *

Her palms were damp and she wiped them as surreptitiously as she could on her skirt. She'd seen Pendragon Towers from the outside several times – hard not to when it dominated the city skyline – but she'd never had cause to step inside, until now.

Last night, at Vivian's urging, she'd finally texted Arthur, asking to talk. His reply was immediate, wanting to come over to her place but Gwen felt too vulnerable in her home. In the end, they settled for Gwen dropping by at his office the next day. It would be impersonal and Gwen would remember who he really was.

"Hi, I have an appointment with Arthur Pendragon."

The lady at the desk cast her a curious look. "Arthur Pendragon? Your name?"

"Gwen. Uh, Gwen Thomas."

"Give me a moment."

As the receptionist spoke into the phone, Gwen looked around the opulent foyer. Uther Pendragon was certainly not shy about showing off his wealth. A large gold sculpture of what looked like a knight killing some monster filled the middle of the foyer. On the walls hung large oil paintings with lavish gold frames. Around the sculpture, people dressed in crisp, fashionable business wear, walked with great purpose to wherever they were going. Gwen felt completely out of place. Maybe meeting Arthur here was a bad idea.

"Ms Thomas? Mr Emrys says you can go up. It's the 28th floor."

Gwen forced a smile on her face and took the card with shaking hands. It was too late to turn back, she supposed. Resolutely, she walked to the lift lobby. Tapping her foot, Gwen stared at the moving numbers on the lift as she ran through in her head what she wanted to say. People milled around her, chattering among themselves. Finally, a lift arrived, its door sliding smoothly open.

"Which floor?"

"28."

The helpful young man hesitated. "28?"

"Yes, please."

"That's Mr Pendragon's office."

By now, Gwen was conscious of everybody's eyes on her. "Yes, I know," she bit out and shot the man a glare.

With a shrug, he pressed the button and the lift door finally shut, leaving Gwen in a lift full of nosey people. Lifting her chin, Gwen stared straight ahead at the shiny door, ignoring the curious stares and whispers. Slowly, the people in the lift exited, leaving her all alone on the trip up the last 5 floors.

"Merlin!" Gwen stepped out of the lift, her shoes sinking into the plush carpet.

"Hey Gwen." His tone was gentle and he looked slightly embarrassed.

It was then Gwen remembered that it wasn't only Arthur who had lied, Merlin had too. Whatever pleasure she felt at seeing him again drained from her, leaving her with a mix of hurt and anger.

"I want to –"

She interrupted him, saying as coolly as possible, "I have an appointment with Arthur."

Merlin looked at her then nodded. Gesturing to the large doors behind him, Merlin said, "He's waiting for you inside."

"Thank you." On the door was Arthur's name - not Arthur White - that man didn't exist. Arthur Pendragon. Gwen lifted a hand to touch it. It was true – the man she'd thought she was in love with was the mighty Arthur Pendragon. She swallowed, trying to temper the nerves in her, then placed her hand on the door and pushed.

"Guinevere." His voice washed over her and instinctively, her heart leapt at it, then started to race. She missed him so much. But this man, dressed in an impeccable suit, looking every bit like the powerful person he was, wasn't the same man she'd fallen in love with.

"Arthur."

Like the foyer of the building, Arthur's office was luxuriantly furnished, although not quite as showy. Less gold and a lot more glass, a lot more polished. Certainly much more fancy than Annis's office. Gwen wondered if this was a reflection of him. Who was Arthur Pendragon?

He walked around the massive table that dominated the room until he stood in front of her.

She took a step back. For the first time, Gwen took a good look at Arthur. His eyes were ringed with dark smudges and he looked strained. His arms hung by his side, his fingers flexing. Despite the stress written on his face, Arthur still looked as gorgeous as she remembered and her heart thudded. He swallowed and Gwen realised he was as nervous as she felt. Smiling wanly, Arthur pulled out the chair.

"Here. Take a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"

It was all painfully polite.

Gingerly, she sat on the chair, one that probably cost more than her apartment, dropped the bag she was holding onto the floor next to her and folded her hands primly in her lap.

Arthur leaned on the table in front of her, his dark eyes staring intently at her. "How have you been?"

The concern and care in his voice almost broke her. "Could be better."

Running a hand through his hair, messing it up, Arthur sighed. "I am so sorry I lied to you. I never meant to -"

"To what? To hurt me? Because you should have known going in that doing this would hurt me." She blinked, trying to keep the sudden tears in check.

"I didn't think," he said quietly.

"Why?"

"Would you have dated Arthur Pendragon?"

Gwen blinked again, hating how close to tears she was. "I don't know. I never got the chance to decide. Is that what this was about? You were afraid I was a gold-digger?"

"Yes. No. I – I just wanted you to like me for who I was, not what I have." His voice was low, and the despair that threaded through it eased the anger in Gwen. It was nothing she would have thought about but Gwen supposed he had a point.

She softened her tone. "And you don't think what you have is part of who you are?"

Arthur picked up on her softened stance and pushed himself from his table to move closer to her. Close enough to touch her, but he didn't. "You're right. I am sorry, Gwen. I should have come clean earlier."

"You shouldn't have lied in the first place!" But by now, her words lacked any venom. Hope began to blossom in her. Perhaps they could work through this, develop a more honest relationship.

"I shouldn't have." His head dropped and a dark flush spread over his cheeks. "There's something else I need to tell you."

That little flicker of hope died. He was going to tell her he lied about loving her as well. Pain seared through her and she told herself to breathe deeply. She would not let him see how much she hurt.

"I lied for another reason." He faltered, then sucked in a breath as if he'd pulled himself together. "Gwaine – one of the guys you met at the restaurant – made a bet with me that I couldn't get a girlfriend without using my name."

For a while, Arthur's words didn't register.

"Gwen, I'm –"

"I was just a pawn in a bet?" Gwen stared up at Arthur. And she thought Arthur not loving her hurt. "And for a moment, I thought – I actually thought – it doesn't matter. What is the point of this conversation? You won the bet."

She stood, refusing to meet his eyes, blindly grabbing for her bag.

For the first time, Arthur touched her, grabbing her arm. "Gwen –"

"Let go of me." She yanked her arm away.

"Yes, it started as a bet, but by the time I had dinner at your place, the bet meant nothing."

Gwen scoffed. "Really? Then why did you bring me to meet your friends at the restaurant? Why continue the lie?"

"I love you. That was never a lie." Arthur sounded so despairing that Gwen had to harden her heart least she caved.

Hefting her bag onto her shoulder, Gwen lifted her chin and stared at Arthur. "I could understand you lying because you didn't want your name or wealth to colour my feelings for you. But a bet? You manipulated my feelings because of a bet? Did you look at me and think that I was easy prey?"

"I looked at you and thought you were most beautiful person I've seen."

"Do you lie so much that you can't help yourself? I've seen the women you date – I don't even measure up to them."

"That's nonsense. Gwen –"

"Don't. I don't want to listen to anything you have to say. I never lied to you. I loved you but clearly, everything in our relationship was a lie. From how it started. I want to never see or hear from you again." Turning sharply, she walked to the door.

"Gwen."

She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Gwen, please. We can –"

Exhaustion swamped her and she sighed. "There's no 'we' Arthur. There can't be when I can't trust you."

She pushed the door open and walked out, ignored Merlin's attempt to talk to her and jabbed at the lift button. Thankfully, she was all alone in the lift because then, no one had to witness her cry.


	13. A Wedding

AN: You know what I find lacking in ? The ability to respond to individual comments because all of you have written such lovely and insightful and thought-provoking comments. And it's been especially useful in pointing out blind spots in my writing. So, thank you. :)

* * *

"If you grip the bouquet any harder, the flowers won't survive the walk down the aisle." Gently, Vivian removed the flowers from Gwen's hands and placed them on the table. "Now, do I look alright?"

Even in her despair, Gwen couldn't help but smile. Since morning, Vivian had a team of stylists working non-stop on her hair and make-up since morning. How could she look anything less than alright? "You are the most beautiful bride. Roger won't know what hit him."

"He will when he sees the bill," grinned Vivian. "But that dumb car he wants to drive costs even more so he can't say anything. Seriously, we're getting married in the city – who drives a sports car in city traffic?"

"I think Roger thinks it's his only chance to drive a car like this."

Vivian rolled her eyes but Gwen could see the affection in her face. Pushing away the tinge of jealousy that suddenly reared its head, Gwen smiled. She was happy for Vivian and Roger, truly. And before Arthur, she'd never been actually jealous of them. But now, her mind wouldn't stop thinking of Arthur and the complete farce of a relationship they had.

_So tell me what you want, what you really, really want. _

Vivian arched a carefully trimmed eyebrow. "Arthur?"

Even as her heart jumped at the thought was calling, Gwen knew it wouldn't be him. Since she stormed out of his office, insisting he never talk to her again, Arthur hadn't so much as texted her. Still, a glance at her phone told Gwen that Vivian was almost right – it was Merlin. It was almost habit to hit the red button, hanging up on him.

"You know what I think?" Vivian leaned forward and stared at her face in the mirror again. "I think that you need to give Arthur a chance."

"I was a means to winning a bet to him!" Gwen huffed. "He used me to win a bet! Anyway, it wasn't him. It was Merlin."

Vivian touched her bun gently. "Same difference. You did tell him not to call you. Did Arthur ever say what the stakes were?"

"I'm not interested in the stakes. And weren't you the one who was quite happily planning revenge strategies with me?"

That made Vivian laugh. "It seems to me that he's desperate to get you back. I just think, if he all he wanted was to win a bet, why is he trying so hard to make things right with you." Through the mirror, Vivian caught Gwen's eye. "Also, didn't you say you were about to forgive him?"

Gwen stood, hating how logical Vivian sounded, and stalked to the sole window in the room. "That was before I realized I was part of a bet. Any other woman would have done for him."

Turning around so she could stare at Gwen properly, Vivian sighed. "Maybe but would he have fallen for any woman? You know, you're punishing yourself as much as him."

"Looks like most of the guests are arriving," said Gwen as she peered out of the window at the throngs of people below. She didn't want to acknowledge the truth in Vivian's words, didn't want to think about how much the mess between her and Arthur was due to her own stubbornness.

"Fine. You can be foolishly obstinate then." Vivian walked over to the window and looked out as well. "Well, that is a lot of people! I invited Lance to the wedding by the way. Sat him next to you."

"Vi! I –"

Vivian took her hand. "I'm not asking you to dive into a serious relationship with him, but he likes you and you liked him once. And I figured you could use the distraction. Don't want you crying into the appetiser."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Only because it's your wedding, I'll do whatever you want."

"Well then, I want you to call Arthur after the wedding." Vivian said sternly.

"Vi!"

The door opened and a young man poked his head in. "Sorry. But we're starting in 20 minutes."

Those words were enough to send Vivian into a frenzy as Gwen watched on with amusement, even as she tried to help. Make up was touched up, the veil was adjusted for the countless time and vows were recited over and over again.

"Oh god, what if I forget my vows?" Gwen had to hold Vivian's hand as they waited for the cue to enter the room because if not, Vivian would have peeled off all the nicely manicured nails in her nervousness.

"You won't and even if you do, you have it tucked in your bodice."

Vivian let out a breath. "I can't believe I'm getting married!"

Laughing, Gwen squeezed her hand. "After all these months of planning?"

Before Vivian could say anything, the doors opened and the song Vivian had chosen drifted to them.

* * *

Gwen had to admit that Lance was pleasant company, especially when she wasn't trying to impress him. He talked about all the various people who patronized his shop, almost making Gwen want to own her own café.

"Why was it our first dates weren't like this?" Lance leaned back into his chair and shook his head. "Those two dates were so awkward."

"I think we were both too stressed." Gwen smiled slightly. Once the fluster of activities had calmed down and Vivian and Roger sealed their vows with a kiss, Gwen again felt the heavy weight of loss and hurt on her shoulders. Her mind drifted back to Vivian's words.

"Dance with me?" Lance was standing, his hand stretched. A romantic tune was playing and several couples were already on the dance floor, swaying more than dancing.

Carefully, she placed her hand in Lance's and nodded. "Why not?"

On the dance floor, Lance held her close, one hand resting on her hip, the other holding her hand gently. They said nothing as they swayed to the music and as much as Gwen tried not to think of Arthur, her disobedient mind kept wondering what it would be like if she was in Arthur's arms instead. As the music played, Gwen closed her eyes and rested her head on Lance's shoulder.

_Arthur laughing when she tried to grab the last piece of chocolate, lifting it above his head so she couldn't reach it. The two of them snuggled on her sofa as she explained the story behind each of her wood carving. Arthur holding her hand and telling her he loved her, looking at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world._

Gwen jerked away from Lance. Vivian was right.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm just tired. Shall we sit down?"

Worry in his eyes, Lance led her back to their table. "Do you want a drink?"

"No. I'm fine. I just thought of something."

Lance looked at her intently. "It's Arthur, isn't it?"

Dropping her gaze to the table, Gwen nodded. "But it's Vivian's wedding, so let's not talk about that."

"If you say so. I'm going to get another drink. Are you sure I can't tempt you with one?"

"Well, one." Gwen smiled, suddenly feeling like a weight off her shoulders. "Thank you."

* * *

At the curb, Gwen hugged Vivian tightly, even as Roger revved the engine of the rented sports car.

"I am so happy for you. Enjoy your honeymoon."

Vivian smiled. "I feel like I am in a dream, to be honest." Her voice dropped. "And I'm happy for you. Go get your man. And since he's a Pendragon, I'm sure there are many ways you can get him to make up for all his sins."

"Vi! I don't want his money!"

"When you have it, you might as well use it."

This time Roger honked.

"Oh I'm coming!" Vivian turned and gave Roger a dirty look. "He's barely married me and he's being a pain already."

Gwen grinned. "Go on. Have a brilliant holiday."

"When I get home, I want every single detail of how you two made up."

"Go." Gwen gave Vivian a light shove.

"I should have aimed for you when I threw the bouquet."

"Vivian! Get in the car!" Roger yelled. "I don't want to miss the flight!"

"Alright, alright!" Vivian hugged Gwen one more time. "Take care! And if he's a jerk again, call me. I don't care that –"

"Vi darling," said Roger through gritted teeth. "Please get in the car. Now."

"Bye Gwen!" Letting go of Gwen, Vivian scurried into the low slung car and leaned over to give Roger a kiss.

A large smile on her face, Gwen waved until she couldn't see the car anymore.

* * *

The neighbourhood Gwen lived in, while run down, was generally safe but one could never be too careful. So when she saw someone lurking on the front steps of her building at close to midnight, she immediately clutched her keys in her hand and ran through the steps for self defense she'd learnt some 10 years ago. Lance had offered to walk her home after the wedding and she was regretting turning him down now.

"Gwen?" The figure stood and took a step towards her.

"Stay away," she said as calmly as possible. "I have – keys and I'm not afraid to use it."

Laughter burst out of the figure and once he stepped into the light cast by the street lamp, Gwen recognized him.

She lowered her hand. "You're Arthur's friend."

"That's right. I'm Gwaine."


	14. Lunch Time Conversations

His long hair was tied up in a ponytail and he was dressed casually. He watched her with amusement. "And you are Gwen – the girl who has managed to bring Arthur to his knees. I don't really remember you being so short."

Gwen bristled. "Did Arthur send you?"

"Alas, Arthur is too proud to ask for help from me. And ordinarily, I don't like getting involved in my friend's personal affairs – too messy you understand – but well, Merlin was very persistent."

Gwen rubbed her head, exhaustion overwhelming her. She'd been up since early morning helping at the wedding and now, she really just wanted to kick off the uncomfortable heels and crawl into her bed and sleep. "It's late and –"

"I realize that. Merlin was very insistent I do this as soon as possible but he conveniently didn't mention you'd be out the whole day."

"How about tomorrow? I have the day off." Gwen walked past him to the main door.

"No problem. We can do lunch tomorrow."

"Alright."

"I'll come by at noon."

Gwen nodded. "Ok. I'll see you."

Without waiting for him to say anything else, Gwen pulled open the main doors and stumbled into the building. She looked up at the narrow flight of steps she needed to climb to get to her apartment and sighed. She bet Arthur would have a working lift in his fancy Pendragon pad.

* * *

11:32am blinked at her.

Gwen closed her eyes again and plopped her pillow over her face. It was her day off. There was no need for her to wake any time before noon.

Gwaine.

Immediately, Gwen jumped out of bed. This was all Arthur's fault that she couldn't sleep in. Splashing some water over face, Gwen tugged a baggy sweater over her jeans, fussed over her hair a bit and when she felt presentable enough, she flopped onto the sofa to wait for Gwaine. Almost immediately, Excalbur wandered over and demanded food. As she fed the demanding cat, Gwen wondered what Merlin had put Gwaine up to. For a while, she'd forgotten that he'd been part of the bet.

Exactly at noon, Gwaine turned up.

"Any preference?" He asked without preamble. "My treat since according to Merlin, this whole mess is my fault."

"No. Not really. I'm sure you have something in mind."

Gwaine flashed her a charming smile, one Gwen imagined would have many people tripping over themselves to be with him. "I didn't think you'd want to venture too far away. There's a small, cozy restaurant on the corner – the Blue Lagoon – I'm sure you've heard of it."

Gwen returned his smile. "Sounds good."

During the short walk to the restaurant, they kept their conversation to superficial, mundane topics such as the weather and the state of the local football team.

"You're not like any of the others Arthur has dated," said Gwaine as he pulled out a chair for her.

Gwen raised her eyebrows. "Is that a problem?"

His grin was sudden. "I find it quite refreshing actually. Shall we order?"

Silently, Gwen scanned the menu. The restaurant was rather famous but she'd never eaten there before, the prices a little out of her comfort zone. If she dated Arthur, would she be always eating out at such places? Or even places more posh than this? Did Arthur hate all the takeouts and home cooked food they'd subsisted on during those 3 weeks?

The waiter took their orders and without the menus, it was just her and Gwaine.

"So." She crossed her hands on her lap and looked expectantly at Gwaine. "What is all this about?"

"Ah. Merlin was very adamant that I should speak to you to explain things."

"You mean the bet."

"Indeed. You, unfortunately, got caught in between this long-standing conflict between Arthur and I."

Gwen frowned. "Aren't you two friends?"

"Yes and mostly we get along, except for that one thing."

"Which is I assume the stakes of the bet?" Now Gwen was curious. Initially, she'd assumed that the stakes had been financial - after all these rich people probably treated money like water. "What were the stakes?"

"A painting." At that moment, the appetiser was set on their table and Gwaine practically lit up. "Oh this looks good."

As Gwaine attacked his appetiser, Gwen pondered his revelation. A painting. What kind of masterpiece were the two of them fighting over?

"What painting?"

"You've heard of Igraine de Bois? The rather well known photographer?"

She had but until Gwaine mentioned her name, Gwen had completely forgotten that she had been married to Uther Pendragon which made her Arthur's mother. "I have."

"A lot of people forget she's married to Uther. Anyway, I have a rare painting done by her. Her favoured tool was the camera but she dabbled in painting and you can imagine that since her death, the value of her painting has soared."

Gwen nodded. She paid little attention to art, whether photography or painting, but Gwaine made sense.

"The thing is, Arthur wants it back."

"Can't he afford to buy it off you?"

Surreptitiously, their waiter cleared their appetisers, replacing them with Gwen's steak and Gwaine's pasta. Gwaine smiled, drumming . "He can, if I were willing to sell."

"But you're willing to give it to him if he lies to some poor girl? Did you think the humour of my humiliation was worth the painting?" Anger swelled in her again. Gwaine was even worse than Arthur and Gwen was tempted to walk out right now. All these people with more money than decency.

Stabbing at a piece of pasta, Gwaine shrugged. "To be fair, I didn't actually think Arthur would do it. He's far too obsessed with honour and fairness. I mean, for two months he did nothing despite agreeing on the bet, then suddenly, he met you."

"What are you trying to say?" Her steak was probably cold by now but Gwen was far more interested in what Gwaine had to say.

"The painting means a lot to Arthur. Why? You have to ask him yourself. But it's also the middle of a dispute between my mother and Uther. Of course, if you know Uther, you'll know that he basically ripped off my family."

Gwen leaned forward. "And the painting is your revenge?"

"Something like that. I admit with my mother's passing and the fact that Arthur is taking over more and more of Pendragon Estates, my thirst for revenge has dropped. But I like the painting as a reminder to Arthur of what his family has done, not just to mine, but to many other families."

Now, Gwen's anger was forgotten, replaced by curiousity. "What did Uther do?"

"You should eat your steak." Gwaine waved his fork at her plate. When she finally ate a piece of steak, he continued. "It was a mess. Suffice to say, Uther was a jerk, Igraine tried to make things right and after we lost a lot of money, all we had was her painting."

"Oh." Unsure of what to say, Gwen popped another piece of steak into her mouth.

"Arthur has been trying to get his hands on the painting for years. In fact, we had lawyers working on it until recently."

"Until recently? So you've given it to him?"

A slow smile spread on Gwaine's face. "And this is when I appeal to you to give that fool a chance. Because, two days ago, I received - well, my lawyers received instructions that Arthur has given up any claim on the painting. He even signed a legal document and all."

"Oh."

"I admit I was speechless too." His eyes alit with amusement, Gwaine shook his head. "Who knew he'd fall so hard?"

Gwen just stared at Gwaine as her brain tried to process everything. Mechanically, she speared more steak and ate it in silence. Arthur had given up a painting that clearly meant a lot to him for her? There really was no other way to read his actions. Vivian was right – he cared and she was punishing herself as much as him.

She dropped her cutlery. "I'm sorry. I have to –"

"Oh sure. I'm going to stay awhile more and have their famed cheese cake." He smirked up at her when she stood. "Good luck. Perhaps I'll see you again."

"Thank you. For lunch and the chat."

"My pleasure."

The moment she exited the restaurant, she pulled out her phone and dialed Arthur's familiar number. After the third ring, it went to voice mail. Gwen frowned at the phone. Who still used voice mail nowadays? As she attempted to flag down a taxi, Gwen typed a short message to Arthur, telling him that she was going to his office.

Why were taxis so difficult to get?

Gwen was practically bouncing on her feet, trying to spot an empty taxi. Briefly, she considered walking to Arthur's office but while that was technically possible, it wasn't quite feasible and she did want to get there before the end of the office day.

When her phone beeped, Gwen's heart jumped. It must be Arthur. Quickly, she glanced at her phone. She told herself she wasn't disappointed when Vivian's name flashed across the screen. Opening the message, Gwen saw a photo of two sets of feet on a pristine, white beach.

_Wish you were here. No, not really. Having fun! Hope you and you-know-who have patched up._

Gwen couldn't stop the smile that spread on her face.

_Glad you're having fun. Will update you on the Arthur situation._

Then it started to rain.

* * *

AN: We're almost there! \o/


	15. When it rains, it pours

When it rained, it poured. Literally.

The moment the sky broke open, Gwen had scurried back to stand under the awning of the restaurant. Now, she looked glumly out at the sheet of rain, one hand grasping her phone, the other trying to untangle her damp hair. No taxis, a heavy downpour - it was as if life was conspiring to keep her from Arthur. And if she even got to Arthur, she looked like a drowned rat.

"Still here!" Gwaine took a position next to her. "The rain is coming down!"

"You don't say," said Gwen dryly, slanting him a look. "Don't suppose you have a car handy?"

"You do remember that we walked here from your place. Fancy a walk in the rain?" Gwaine offered his arm with a grin.

"No. Oh it's not like I have much choice, do I?"

Dropping his arm, but not his grin, Gwaine replied, "I suppose we could ask the nice matre'd if he has an umbrella. Give me a moment."

The power of money, thought Gwen, when Gwaine came swaggering out of the restaurant with a nice, large umbrella.

"Shall we?"

Despite Gwaine's best efforts, Gwen was far from dry when they finally arrived. Her wet hair was plastered to the side of her face, her sweater was splattered with rain and her toes squished in her soaked shoes. She felt a mess.

"My car is here. Can I offer you a lift to Pendragon Towers? Assuming that is where you are headed." Gwaine gestured to a sports car that Roger would have salivated over.

"I can't believe you parked that at the side of the road," said Gwen. She glanced back at her building, her mind torn in half. She was really itching to get to Arthur as soon as possible and Gwaine was offering her a ride in the kind of car she'd never even been close enough to touch. On the other hand, she was pretty sure she looked like something the cat dragged in. But Arthur wasn't replying to her message and who knew when the rain would stop. She would also never get a cab in such rain.

Gwaine cocked his head. "Coming?"

"I'll get your car all wet."

He glanced down at his own wet clothes. "I think I have that covered. I know this isn't even a scratch on what Arthur drives -"

Impulsively, she said, "Ok. Let's go."

Gwaine pulled open the door and helped her in. The soft leather seat hugged her and the scent of pine tickled her nose. Thankfully, the bag she carried was waterproof. Digging out a piece of tissue, Gwen set about trying to dry herself.

"I don't think it's helping." Amusement threaded his voice. "Here, I'll turn up the heater. Arthur is pissed enough with me. Don't want to get the blame for getting his girlfriend sick."

Gwen smiled gratefully at him and for a while, they rode in silence as Gwen attempted to dry herself off. By the time she felt more damp than wet, her whole bag was full of tissue. She sighed. Maybe she should have taken the time to hop into the shower and make herself a little more presentable. What if Arthur took one look at her and decided he didn't feel the same way? Why were relationships so difficult? She peeked at her phone - no message from Arthur and her heart sank.

"Arthur says you're a personal assistant with some accounting firm?"

Wet, her hair was a tangled mess. She nodded as she tried to run her fingers through her hair. "Leland Accounting."

"That's Annis's company isn't it? The one she formed after she left Carleon Chartered Accountants." They slid to a smooth stop at a light and Gwaine drummed his fingers against the wheel.

"Yes. What do you do?"

"I work in a security firm."

Gwen stopped fiddling with her hair and looked over at him. "Like a security guard?"

He laughed. "I suppose you could say I oversee many security guards. But I did start out as one."

"Can I assume you own this firm?"

"I am one of the owners. It's amazing how security conscious rich people are and how much money you can make off them."

"You speak like you're not one of them."

Gwaine shrugged. "You remember that bit about Uther cheating us of our money. I grew up pretty not rich. It's only recently that I've been able to afford this gorgeous piece of metal."

"Oh." Then she looked up and saw that they were reaching Pendragon Towers.

"I'm going to drop you off at the entrance." Smoothly, the car changed lanes and slid to a stop. "Good luck although I suspect you won't need it."

"Thank you," she said as she stumbled out of the car. Once Gwaine pulled away, Gwen straightened her top then walked towards the main entrance. As she approached the large doors, she caught sight of her reflection in the glass.

Her hair hung limply and her sweater was splotched with damp stains. Around her, everyone, despite the rain that still pelted down, looked immaculate. Still, she was here already. She might as well continue. Squaring her shoulders, she sucked in a breath, ignored the strange glances from the people around and walked towards the lifts.

She tapped her foot on the floor as she watched the numbers.

_5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … G_

Gwen stepped forward just as the doors opened.

"Gwen!"

"Arthur!"

Finally face to face with him after three days, Gwen found herself tongue-tied. He looked tired, even more so than the last time she saw him. He was, of course, dressed in a sharp suit but his eyes were hooded and stubble darkened his chin.

The people in the lift with him darted around him and left. Behind her, Gwen was sure there were people waiting to enter but she couldn't move.

"Hi." Arthur was the first to speak, his voice gruff and low. "Why are you here?"

At that moment, the lift doors started to close. Arthur jerked forward, putting his arm out to stop the doors from closing, the briefcase he was holding dropping to the floor. One hand on the lift doors, he looked expectantly at her.

"To see you." Her fingers curled into the edge of her damp sweater. "Are you rushing somewhere?"

"No. It's not important." Pleasure filled his face and he grinned at her. "I'm glad to see you."

Gwen smiled slightly as her heart warmed. Everything was going to be alright. "I'm glad to see you too."

The lift next to the one Arthur stood in opened and the people waiting swarmed to it. Vaguely, Gwen heard them grumbling as they brushed past her. Suddenly aware that she and Arthur were standing and staring at each other in public, she quickly darted into the lift, bumping into a surprised Arthur. His arm dropped from the lift door and with a relieved sigh, it slid close.

"Hi," she breathed as she looked up at him. She was in his space, not moved since she stumbled into him but his hand was on her hip and she'd missed his touch. Lifting a hand, she pressed her palm on his chest. "Fancy meeting you here."

"You're wet," said Arthur.

"It's raining outside." Self-consciously, she touched her hair.

"Right."

The lift door opened and someone took a step into the lift, muttered something then stepped out again.

"I had lunch with Gwaine earlier, Arthur and –"

Arthur took a step back and her hand dropped. "Gwaine? Why?"

"Actually, he came to see me. Told me a few things."

The tension in Arthur's eyes eased. "What did he tell you?"

With a clunk, the lift door closed again.

Gently, Gwen cupped Arthur's cheek, feeling the rough scratch of his stubble. "He told me you gave up all rights to your mother's painting."

"I had to," rasped Arthur. He turned his head and brushed his lips against her palm.

Gwen's heart sped up. "Why?"

"Because I needed to make you believe that I love you."

"Why do you love me? I'm just plain, ordinary Gwen." But even as she asked, she smiled, blinking as tears pricked the back of her eyes.

This time, it was him who cupped her face with both hands, drawing her closer to him. "Because plain, ordinary Gwen makes me happy. Because she is kind, far too optimistic about life, snaps at me when I'm taking life for granted, painstakingly takes out all the peas from anything she eats –"

She flung herself at him, kissing him. Their teeth clacked before they settled into a more comfortable position, her arms twined around his neck. The feel of his lips sent desire arrowing through her.

"I love you too," she gasped in between kisses.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you."

Once more, the lift door slid open. A young lady stepped in, pressed a button, then stepped out. The moment the doors closed again, Arthur dipped his head to kiss her. "I am so, so sorry I hurt you. I promise you, I will never deceive you again. It was a stupid –"

She placed a finger on his lips and he kissed her finger gently. "I am going to trust you again just this once. Just this once."

"I love you Gwen."

With a smile, she tiptoed and kissed him again as the lift doors opened. "I know."

"Ahem." Leaning against the lift doors was an amused Merlin.

"Merlin!" Arthur frowned and Gwen quickly stepped out of his hold. Heat flooded her face and she found it hard to look Merlin in the eye.

"I don't mean to break this up but I've been asked to stop the two of you from hogging the lift." Merlin smirked. "You do have a very nice office with a very comfortable sofa in which you can conduct such – affairs, privately."

"Thank you, Merlin," said Arthur gruffly, before he grabbed her hand and led her to his office.

"Thank you, Merlin," Gwen called out, nodding at his knowing smile.

* * *

Clad in Arthur's spare t-shirt and shorts, Gwen curled up on the sofa, leaning against Arthur. His lips were buried in her hair and his hand moved up and down her bare thigh. After locking them in his office, Arthur had insisted she take a hot shower in his private bathroom. Her hair was still a wet mess but at least she felt cleaner.

"You've really given up all claims to the painting?"

She felt him nod. "Gwaine has always wanted it, so he can have it."

"Are you upset?"

He shifted, then moved her so she was looking at him. "Gwen, for years I was obsessed with the painting. My mother painted it when she was pregnant with me and it's named after me. But a painting isn't going to grow old with me, share laughter and tears with me." His voice softened. "I'm hoping that you will."

Even as a swell of affection filled her, Gwen tempered down the urge to promise Arthur everything. "I think, we need to take this slow for now."

Arthur's thumb brushed across her cheek. "Ok."

"How about," Gwen smiled up at him, "we start with some slow kissing?"

It seemed that Arthur was very amendable to that suggestion.


	16. Happily Ever After

Gwen was working on a document that Annis had made her edit twice already when Annis herself turned up at her desk, glasses perched on the edge of her nose.

"I hear that you are in a relationship with the heir to Pendragon Estates."

Amusement tugging at her lips, Gwen looked up at Annis. "I believe you once said that gossip was the purview of the small minded."

Annis's huff was barely audible and Gwen kept her face as straight as she could. "I couldn't care less about your personal life but I just gave you a raise. I expect some loyalty in return."

"I'm not going to work in Pendragon Estates if that is what you are worried about," said Gwen. "I'm quite happy here."

"And you should be." Executing a sharp turn, Annis walked back to her office, then hesitated at the door. "Be careful. The Pendragon men - they are not men to fool around with."

Gwen swung her chair around, eyes widening. "Why Annis, what do you know about the Pendragon men?"

The door slammed behind Annis.

Barely seconds later, Cenred turned the corner into the office.

"Is Annis ready to see me? I have some concerns about the proposal she sent me last week." He barely gave her a second glance, a far cry from the over the top flirting he used to inflict on her.

"She's inside, waiting for you."

Cenred gave her a curt nod.

Letting her smile widen, Gwen shook her head as she turned back to her computer screen. She supposed it was inevitable that news of her and Arthur would get out, especially after she'd accompanied him to some fancy, high-powered business dinner the night before. The dinner was as boring as expected although the look on Cenred's face when he realized she was there as Arthur's date was almost enough to make sitting through long winded business speeches worth it. Thankfully, Gwaine and Merlin both proved to be entertaining company when Arthur was forced to make the rounds.

More than an hour later, Annis ushered Cenred out of her office. The multitude of flags sticking out of the file in Annis's hand made Gwen's heart sink. More changes.

When her neck ached, she glanced at the corner of her screen.

_11:53_

Annis probably wouldn't mind if she went off a few minutes earlier for lunch.

_I'm going for lunch now. See you CC? _

Arthur replied almost immediately.

Gwen saved her document, then walked over to Annis's office. "I'm going for lunch –"

"With the Pendragon prince?"

"Want a sandwich?"

Annis frowned. "If you can tear yourself away from him to get me one."

Laughing, Gwen closed the office door, grabbed her bag and left for lunch.

* * *

The riot of colours on the canvas, the bold, brazen brush strokes – Arthur knew every inch like the back of his hand. But he'd never seen it like that – the centerpiece of an intimate exhibition celebrating his mother's work. The starkly modern art gallery was filled with art connoisseurs and curious visitors, all keen to see the never-before displayed in public, _Arthur_, a painting by Igraine de Bois.

"Happy birthday, brother. I have to say she did well. I'm impressed with your choice of girlfriend." Morgana handed him a glass of wine.

"Gwen is wonderful," agreed Arthur. Turning slightly, he smiled at Morgana. "But I heard you were quite instrumental in getting this off the ground."

Morgana smirked, taking a sip of the wine. "This exhibition is in aid of my non-profit. I couldn't not help."

"Thank you," said Arthur, slipping an arm around her and squeezing.

"You should thank him." Morgana tilted her head at the approaching Gwaine. "Allowing the painting to be displayed in public. I think your girlfriend has him charmed." Slanting him her usual mocking look, Morgana clicked away in her heels, presumably to catch up with Merlin.

It was much later, as the crowd thinned out, that he finally managed to get some free time with Gwen. She was leaning in the corner of gallery, a wistful look on her face. For a moment, he just stood where he was and drank her in. He'd heard the gossip and the whispers of course – how lucky she was to have snagged him, but Arthur knew in truth that it was him who was lucky.

Her eyes were smudged with dark rings and her smile was tired. "Hey. Enjoying yourself?"

"Best present."

"Even better than the car that you got for your 18th?" When he reached for her, she snuggled immediately into his embrace.

"So much better." He dropped a kiss on her head. "But you really didn't have to."

She looked up at him. "I wanted to. It really was Merlin's idea. Well it was a flippant remark he made that started the whole ball rolling."

"I think I should be jealous that my friends seem to like you more than me." But there was nothing but affection in his tone.

Her answering smile morphed into a yawn.

"Ok. I'm going to chase everyone home, then we'll close up and I'm sending you home."

Gwen was asleep by the time he pulled up outside her building. In her slumber, she was relaxed. Gently, he ran a thumb across her cheek. Sometimes, it scared him how much he loved her, the lengths he would go for her. He'd certainly never felt this way about any of the other women he'd dated – this strange mix of protectiveness, peace and adoration.

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled sleepily at him. "We're here?"

"We're home."

"Are you coming in?" Gwen wriggled in her seat, then stretched.

Twirling a curl around his finger, he smiled at her. "Do you want me to?"

"I warn you, I'm not quite up for any physical exertion."

Arthur laughed. "I promise you, we'll just cuddle in bed. Come on."

"Happy birthday," she murmured.

Leaning over, Arthur kissed her. "Thank you."

* * *

Had anyone told Gwen that she would be waking up every morning in the most luxurious bedroom she's ever seen, she would have laughed. She was an ordinary girl from a modest family. She lived in modest little apartments with wonky heating and nagging landlords. Not some exclusive, penthouse apartment in the middle of the city complete with housemaids who waited on her hand and foot. Except that seemed to be her life right now.

Arthur groaned and pulled her back into his embrace. "Where do you think you are going?"

"Work maybe?"

"Hmm, tell your boss that Arthur Pendragon wants you. He prefers that you stay in bed with him."

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a light shove and got out of bed. "You know that I would never make use of your name like that."

"You're no fun."

"I'm going to take your chauffeur if you don't hurry up. Then you're going to have to get Merlin to drive you to work and you know what his driving is like."

Arthur just groaned and buried his face into his pillow.

Stepping into the shower, Gwen couldn't help but grin. Some days, she could barely believe how life had turned out. She yelped when Arthur stepped into the shower with her. His arms came around her and he nipped her neck while cupping her breasts.

"Have I told you I love you?"

"No. I don't believe you have today. Why don't you show me?"

"Hmm, that can be arranged." He maneuvered her so she was pressed against the wet wall, then lifted her slightly and kissed her firmly. Twining her arms around his neck, and hooking one leg around Arthur, she opened her mouth to receive his kiss.

It was close, but thanks to Arthur's chauffeur's amazing driving, Gwen stumbled into her office just a moment before Annis did.

* * *

Arthur could feel Vivian's annoyance.

"I just want to make sure it's perfect."

"And I want to make sure Gwen doesn't die from a lack of oxygen or a raging fire. A few candles are romantic. A whole roomful – a fire hazard."

"Gwen likes scented candles."

He heard Vivian sigh. "She also likes chocolates. Are you planning to bury her in them?"

"Sometimes, you're worse than Merlin," huffed Arthur. "I invited you here to help, not stand there and criticize everything I do. Look, how about you go to my jacket and grab the ring?"

As Arthur lit another candle, Vivian rummaged in his jacket's pocket. "Where is Merlin anyway?"

"He's keeping Gwen away from here."

"You know, Roger's proposal was perfect – a nice dinner at my favourite restaurant, a nice big diamond ring. None of this cooking and candles –" When Vivian stopped talking and let out a long whistle, Arthur knew she'd found the ring. "You certainly got the ring right. Can I try it on?"

"What – no!" Arthur turned quickly to see Vivan admiring the ring on her finger. "Take that off!"

She did, placing it back into the plush ring box. "Nice although if you were proposing to me –"

"Which I am not."

"- I'd expect the Pendragon money to get me something bigger than this."

"Again, good thing I'm not proposing to you." Arthur rubbed his head. Asking Vivian for help was a terrible idea. Naturally, it had been Merlin's terrible idea.

"Alright, alright. I'm going to check on the oven."

Arthur was pretty sure he'd worn down Gwen's carpet with all his pacing when he finally heard the key in her lock.

"Hello?"

Sucking in a breath, Arthur stepped out of the kitchen. "Gwen."

"Arthur! Merlin said you were working late tonight." Her bag slid from her shoulder onto the ground and with a smile, she walked to him. She stopped halfway, her eyes taking in the candles and the roses around her living room. "What is going on?"

He swallowed. "I wanted to do something nice for you."

"You do nice things for me every day. Although there are a lot of candles. How long did it take you to light them all?" She continued to walk to him, slipping her arms around him when she reached him. "And is that dinner I smell cooking?"

"Uh, sort of. As in, I didn't cook it but I did heat it up."

Her smile was bright, brighter than the candles that burned in the background. "Well, this certainly is a lovely surprise."

Taking her hands, he led her to the dining table, seating her. "Hungry?"

"I thought dinner was cancelled so there's a soggy kebab in my bag."

Arthur grinned. "I assure you that food from The Blue Room is much better than a soggy kebab."

As he started to move away, Gwen placed a hand on his arm. "Arthur, what is going on?"

"Let's have dinner first."

"I'm not going to be able to eat if I'm in suspense. I feel like I would eat easier if I were, I don't know, part of a permanent partnership."

"Oh god, did Merlin tell you?" Arthur would dock his pay, he decided.

Gwen laughed, then stood up and cupped his face. "Arthur, there are candles and roses, a cozy dinner and you look like you're going to faint."

"Pretty obvious?"

She nodded.

So, he slid onto one knee, took her hand and asked. And even though she'd known what was coming, she still squealed and leapt into his arms, kissing him all over, whispering yes in between.

"I think before we eat dinner," she said much later, when the edge had been taken off their excitement, "we should probably put out the candles before the smoke alarm goes off."

They did, then had dinner, then celebrated their new status in Gwen's bedroom.

"I love you," she whispered in the darkness, still wrapped around him.

"I love you too."

* * *

The end! And it was longer than 10 chapters! Whee! Thank you for the overwhelming response to this fic and I really enjoyed (re)writing it.


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